


Looking For Group

by Tashilover



Series: Linked Universe [8]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crack, Linked Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2020-06-27 22:46:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 33,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19799311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tashilover/pseuds/Tashilover
Summary: People want to be a Hero so badly, they're willing to bribe, lie, cheat, and beg. Twilight knows there's a Hero amongst the people in this college town. It's just a matter of finding them.edit: one thousand kudos! you guys are awesome! thank you!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I saw a little Linked Universe art piece Jojo made where they poked fun of their dislike of certain popular fanfic tropes. It included barista!AUs and high school!AUs. And my brain was like, hey... what if that was a thing?
> 
> Just be aware I am NOT mocking Jojo or trying to downplay their dislike. This fic is just me having a little bit of fun and trying something new. (as if barista and university aus are 'new') I hope you guys can enjoy the silliness I am presenting here even if you too don't care for those tropes.

Twilight stared miserably at the mess left at his front door. There were piles of boxes of chocolates stacked as high as his knee. There were containers filled with homemade cookies, letters smelling of perfume, black and white glamour shots were tapped on the door, and so much more _shit_. Twilight had to lean over to unlock the door and when he opened it, the pile fell into his dorm room.

At the sound of the boxes falling, Warriors peeked his head around the corner. "Awww, right! Chocolate!"

"What the fuck is all this?" Twilight asked.

"Bribes," said Warriors. He walked over and grabbed a handful of boxes while ignoring everything else. Twilight awkwardly kicked the rest to the side so he could close the door.

"Bribes?" Twilight repeated. He dropped his backpack in the nearest chair. "For what?"

"Hero stuff."

"Hero... what? They do know we don't have a choice in it, right?"

"Yeah... but I might've hinted we could... influence the decision."

Twilight rubbed at his eyes. "So you lied and told a bunch of morons we can pick and choose who the next Hero is."

"I didn't lie," Warriors lied. "I merely told them an alternate truth and they came up with their own conclusion."

"Yeah? And what's going to happen when they realize you can't follow up?"

Warriors shrugged and flopped back down onto the couch, ripping open a box of chocolates. "Ooh! Nougat!"

"...Just clean up the mess. It's piling up in front of the door."


	2. Chapter 2

Hyrule University was nice enough to provide a quiet, empty room for them to use. They were given one of the empty art studios. The smell of oil paint and turpentine clung to the walls, and there were at least a dozen old art stands pushed to one corner. There were no windows, which they specifically asked for.

Warriors, Twilight, and Sky sat in the middle of the room. They had set up a foldable table, and on it were a stack of papers full of photographs and resumes.

"Look at this," Warriors groaned, holding out one resume towards Sky. "This person thinks they're a Hero because they got a 4.0 GPA in high school."

"I got a better one," Sky said, sliding over a sheet. "This person thinks they qualify because they once gave their _leftovers_ to a homeless person."

Twilight didn't bother joining in the game, though he had plenty to show off. He tossed resume after resume over his shoulder, reading them and discarding them just as fast. One person said they could be a Hero because they enjoyed music of different genres. Another claimed they were a Hero because they were descendants of Hyrule nobility. They even provided a detailed family tree. One person just stapled a twenty rupee note to one resume which Twilight just pocketed and then tossed the paper into the rejected pile behind him.

Warriors saw this and said, "Hey, how come it's okay for you to take bribes but not me?"

"Be quiet and I'll buy lunch with it."

"...Alright. But in all seriousness, have we found anyone who could possess the Hero's Spirit?"

Sky looked miserably at the small amount of papers they did manage to keep. There were only ten.

"Are we doing this the wrong way?" Sky asked. "Is this truly the best way to find our companions?"

"That's how we found him," Twilight said, shoving a thumb towards Warriors' direction. Warriors waved.

"Yes, but..." Sky shrugged. "I've been reading up on how the heroes used to be found long ago. They held huge tournaments, contests of bravery and skill..."

"But also remember a lot of people died during those things," Warriors said. "Many people pushed themselves too hard or tried to murder the others to thin out the competition."

"All they see is the fame and fortune," said Twilight. "It was no different then and it's no different now. We could wait till a great crisis occurs and for a new Hero to arise, but I'd rather for us to be prepared." He tossed another resume behind his shoulder. "I'll admit it though... it does feel pointless."

"Ugh," Sky groaned and stood up. "This talk is getting too dark. I propose a break. There's a new coffee shop that opened down the street. I hear it's amazing."

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, I'm going cross-eyed. I can go for some coffee."


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh Hylia... look at the size of that line."

The coffee shop, Arbiter's Coffee Ground, was filled to the brim with bustling college students. There were only five tables outside on the patio, all taken, and the line leading out from the door was twenty feet long and growing by the second.

"Ugh..." Warriors groaned. "I'm not sure the coffee is worth the wait. You guys just wanna hit up Starbucks?"

Two young women exited the building. They had coffee in hand along with the _fattest_ chocolate donut Twilight has ever seen in his life. Seeing this, he immediately walked over.

"Excuse me," he called out to them. "We're thinking about trying this place. How's is it?"

The both of them startled, their eyes growing wide at the sight of him. Blush bloomed on their cheeks and they immediately started giggling shyly, one girl trying to hide her face behind the donut. Twilight was used to this response. He didn't advertise himself publically as a Hero, but people recognized him regardless. He waited for their giggles to subside.

"It's great!" Said one gal. She still couldn't look at Twilight in the face. "Everything is so good. I even like the almond bread, and I hate almonds!"

"It is truly amazing," said the other girl. She a little braver, able to keep eye-contact. "The wait is long, but it is really good."

Twilight smiled. "You've convinced me. Thank you."

As he turned to walk back to the others, one of the girls called out, "Oh, and don't be startled by his appearance!"

"What do you suppose that means?" Sky asked as Twilight joined them.

"Who knows. But did you see the size of the donut she was eating? I want that. I'm willing if you're willing."

"We're already here. Might as well."

They joined the line.

It was late March, the air still tinged with chill. It wasn't cold enough to be uncomfortable, but as the minutes ticked by, Twilight's nose began to ran. As he watched others exit the coffee shop, steaming cups in hand, more and more eager he was to get inside. He was hungry at this point. The smell of fresh bread and delicious coffee teased his senses.

"Finally!" Warriors breathed once they walked through the doors. The blast of warm air had them sighing in relief, and Twilight quickly wiped at his nose with a handkerchief.

The shop looked small on the outside, but inside was a hustling hub of activity. There were at least fifty people inside, taking up tables and chair, talking eagerly over steaming tea cups and toasted paninis. The heroes paused and took an appreciative smell at the delicious scents tickling their noses. Chocolate, hazelnut and cinnamon.

"Now I'm glad you decided to talk me into staying," Sky said, looking over the pastries in the glass display. "Everything looks amazing!"

"The price isn't half bad either..." Warriors said. "If the food is as good, I think I found my new hang-out."

Twilight studied the menu. So many choices. What was he in the mood for? Did he want a full meal or just something to take the edge off? He planned to put in some training later on today and didn't want something heavy holding him down. Perhaps just a cup of coffee and maybe something sweet...

He got to the front of the register, his eyes still on the menu.

"Can I take your order?" Asked the employee.

"Uh... yes. May I have the... er... black coffee and-"

He finally looked at the employee. His next words died in his throat.

The person in front of him was a young man that looked barely twenty years old. He had giant blue eyes, his golden hair pulled back in a tight bun, and amber earrings hanged off of his lobes. He wore a green apron bearing the shop's name and a short sleeve white shirt. But that's not what startled Twilight into silence. It was the thick, burn scars covering half of the young man's face.

The burns engulfed his entire left cheek, half of his forehead, the majority of his chin, just grazing at edge of his nose. His entire left ear was severely deformed, the burns looking more like red play-doh than skin. There were burns on the young man's neck, arcing across his throat. His left arm suffered the same fate. At some point in this young man's life, he'd been caught in a _horrific_ fire. Twilight couldn't imagine the immense pain this guy went through.

The young man snapped his fingers in front of Twilight's eyes, jerking him out of his thoughts.

"Hey," he said. "I know I'm very handsome, but there are customers behind you."

"Oh...! I'm sorry... I didn't mean to stare."

"No worries, man. I'm used to it. Now, what would you like?"


	4. Chapter 4

"It's not like you to be embarrassed like this," said Warriors.

Miracles of miracles, the trio managed to grab a vacant table. It was just pure chance they walked by as one group stood up and left. The table was covered in crumbs and coffee rings, forcing them to grab several napkins to wipe it down.

"Those girls were right," Twilight murmured, his head hanging low in embarrassment. "I shouldn't have been so rude. But can you really blame me? Those scars are impossible to miss."

Sky snorted. "Please, the moment I saw that kid when we entered the building, I knew you'd have this reaction."

"Oh?" Warriors said suddenly, leaning in close. "What do you mean?"

"Are you not aware? Understandable, you haven't known Twilight as long as I have. You see-"

"Sky..." Twilight warned.

Sky ignored him. "When we were kids, he found a puppy in the woods and brought it home, declaring he was its mother now and he was going to take care of it. That puppy turned out to be a wolf, and his parents had to force him to give it up to the zoo. He spent _weeks_ crying about it."

"Dude, c'mon, he doesn't need to know this-"

"And when we were about twelve, we were at a mall when he saw this grown woman crying. He ran up to her and demanded to know who hurt her so he could 'kick their ass.' The woman was crying cause she _sneezed_ too hard."

"Oh my god," Twilight groaned, burying his face in his arms.

"This is amazing!" Warriors laughed, thumping his hand across Twilight's back. "You want to fight everyone's battles!"

"Twilight is a very empathetic person," Sky continued. "He has a tendency to... overreact when it comes to those he feels has been wrong."

"I'm also old enough to understand where not to stick my nose in," Twilight said, his voice muffled through his arms. "I'm not going to get involved, so you can stop teasing me about it."

"Yeah, but you're still thinking about it."

That Twilight couldn't deny. But there was nothing he could do. The kid didn't ask for help, and if Twilight tried to needle his way in, he'll come off like as a pushy, overbearing jackass. It was for everyone's best interests to back the fuck off.

Warriors slapped him on the arm. "Well, here's your chance to be the Hero, big guy. Your protégé is coming."

"My _what-?"_

He lifted his head and looked, and the person delivering their food was none other the scarred young man. He held up the tray like the waiters at Hyrule Castle. All he needed was a fancy blue uniform and he was set. Though the coffee shop was immensely crowded, he strode through the endless bodies with ease, getting to their table without jostling not a single drink on the tray. He set it down and began passing out the meals.

His name tag said _Wild_.

"Chicken Panini with sugar-free lemonade," said Wild, passing the food over to Sky.

"Minestrone soup with a large coke." He passed the next plate over to Warriors.

Twilight waited, expecting a knowing look from their previous interaction. But the kid kept his professional demeanor and passed the plate over without acknowledging it.

"One éclair with green tea," Wild said finally. "Is there anything else I can get you fellas?"

"No, this looks great, thanks."

"Oh! And before I forget..." He reached into the pocket of his apron. He pulled out a small jar about the size of his thumb and placed it in the middle of their table. "Courser Bee honey."

Everyone at the table sat up straight. Courser bee honey was insanely delicious and extremely hard to get. Due to the bees' intense aggressive behavior, it was rare to find any local who took the time to harvest their honey. It was reported ten people were killed jus last year from Courser Bee swarms. A jar this size probably was worth twenty or thirty rupees.

"We didn't order this," said Sky. This admission earned him a glare from Warriors.

"It's on the house," said Wild. "It's not every day I get Heroes in my place of work. Enjoy!"

The group waited till he walked away before talking again.

"So he knows we're Heroes," said Warriors. "Sweet, I wonder if we can free stuff like this in the future."

  
"Don't take advantage," Twilight lightly chastise. "Besides, Time will have our heads if he knew we were using our status for profit."

The group took a bite of their food. There was a short pause, and all three of them groaned out in pleasure.

Sky shook his head. "Never mind that. If using our status means eating like this every day, so be it. Oh my goddess...."


	5. Chapter 5

Twilight wished they could have this ceremony in a more prestigious area instead of in the empty art room. Long ago, Heroes were chosen in front of crowds of thousands. Overlooking the ceremony was the royal family themselves, dressed in their finest, the princess giving divine prayers to those who came. An entire week was dedicated to the Choosing, followed by celebrations. All of that changed when people would use the ceremony as an opportunity to kill or maim the Heroes.

It was better to keep things quiet.

Standing in front of Sky, Warriors and Twilight, were two potential heroes. One man, one woman. The woman was named Ashi. She was a short, thin, woman barely coming up to Twilight's chest. She had a bowl haircut, thin black eyes, and pink chubby cheeks. Small as she was, Ashi was a Judo master, an experienced lifeguard with twelve rescues under her belt, and was training to become a social worker. She reminded Twilight of Swords.

Next to her was the young man named Charles. He was a tall, well-built man. He had curly brown hair that reached past his ears, and a cocky grin that could rival Warrior's. Charles was a trained firefighter, only just graduated two months back. When he was not training, he volunteered at the local hospitals.

Both had the potential to be Heroes.

Sky stepped forward. In his arms he carried a bundle wrapped in blue silk. Very gently he placed the bundle onto the table, the unfolded the silk revealing the Master Sword. "I assume you both know what this is."

Ashi's hands flew up to her mouth and made a small sound like a mouse sneezing. _"The Master Sword,"_ she said quietly. "I've read so much about it. I never thought I would see it up close in my lifetime."

Charles nodded. "Same. It's like something out of a fairy tale. It feels unreal to be here."

Sky smiled. He stepped away from the table, gesturing to the sword. "She will be your final test."

Both Charles and Ashi visibly startled. Ashi swallowed. "Are we expected to fight each other...?"

Warriors burst out laughing. Twilight nudged him to be quiet.

"Oh heavens, no," said Sky. "We would never do that. Understand that the Master Sword is no mere weapon. She has a soul. She has a personality. She was created by the Goddess herself, infused with Her divine power. She is eternal, she is thoughtful, and she will determine if you are worthy of her. A single touch will do."

Charles hummed. "If in the end all it takes is for the sword to decide, why not just let people line up and touch one by one? I'm sure that process will be faster than this interview stuff."

It was Twilight who answered. "Because if you are not a Hero and you try to touch her, she burns through your flesh like acid."

A droplet of sweat ran down Charles' neck. "They never mentioned that in the books."

"They don't mention it as a burn," said Warriors. "They call it a... holy mark, I think. Something historians put a spin on to decrease their humiliation for becoming rejected Heroes."

"I see..."

Sky pulled the sword out of its scabbard. Even in the dim light of the room, the sword shimmered ethereally. He held it out for the two to take.

"Potential Heroes of Hyrule," he began. "By taking this sword, you take on the responsibilities with it. You are to protect this kingdom, its people, and its values, with your very soul. You will be bound to this sword as she is bound to you. If you feel in your heart you've been blessed by the Goddess Herself, then please, take the hilt and awaken your destiny."

Ashi stepped forward. Her hand trembled as she reached out, hovering just above the hilt. Her fingers twitched, curling and uncurling like she was fighting against them. After a long second, she pulled back, resting her hand on her chest.

"I don't think I'm worthy..." She said softly. "When I started this program, I thought I would be rejected outright. Me, as Hero? I only did it for a lark. Something to put on my resume. I didn't think I would ever get this far. Thank you for considering me... but I don't think I'm the Hero you're looking for."

"That's alright," said Sky. "If you believe this to be truth in your heart, you should listen to it."

He turned towards Charles.

The muscles in Charles' cheeks tightened as he stared down at the hilt. Like Ashi, his hand twitched in indecision. Then, after a few seconds, he huffed and said, "Fuck it," and grabbed the hilt.

He might as well been grabbing onto a burning piece of coal. Charles gave out a bellowing cry of pain, and wrenched his ruined hand back. His entire palm was severely burned, the skin turning black. Smoke rose from his flesh as Warriors rushed forward with ice, shoving it onto his burning flesh.

"My hand!" Charles sobbed as Warriors wrapped his palm in gauze. "My hand!"


	6. Chapter 6

Warriors took Charles to the hospital to get proper treatment. Sky took the Master Sword to the local temple to pray.

Twilight went to get lunch.

He ordered a croissant sandwich with a chai tea. Though the croissant was golden brown, flaky, and tasted absolutely amazing, he had no appetite. He forced himself to take a few bites, then set the sandwich on the plate. He stared out the window, sighing.

Charles was the seventh rejected Hero this year alone.

What were they doing wrong?

A soothsayer told them there was a Hero in this college town. It was one of the reasons why he, Sky and Warriors had come here. Twilight wanted to get a degree in agriculture and this was the perfect opportunity. Though he didn't need to get an education- the royal family will always look after him- Twilight didn't want to be a mooch.

But now it's been two years and they haven't gotten any closer to finding the Hero. Some of the rejected heroes had left the campus completely, their humiliation too much to handle. Another hero tried to sue them. (They didn't go through with it.)

Twilight took out his cell phone. He was tempted to text his Zelda, to ask for her advice. But the last he heard, she was somewhere in the Gerudo desert, trying to bring water to the most isolated of towns. She didn't have time to deal with his insecurities. Twilight's thumb hovered above her number for a few seconds longer, and then put the phone down.

At the corner of his eye, he saw the barista, Wild, cleaning nearby tables. He was busy collecting plates and coffee cups, putting them into a white bin he carried on his hip. He had his sleeves rolled up, showing off the thick scars on his left arm. Goodness, was his entire left side like that?

Twilight averted his gaze. He shouldn't be staring.

Sitting next to Twilight were two young men. They were debating in low whispers.

_"I'm going to ask him."_

_"Dude, no, I'm not that curious."_

_"Oh, c'mon, I know you're dying to know."_

_"No, leave him alone. Yaro, don't-!"_

"Hey!" Yaro spoke up suddenly, catching Wild's attention. "Man, how did you get those scars? Got blown up or something?"

Twilight full-on _cringed_. Really? You were just going to come out and ask a complete stranger that? Good lord, listening to that was worse than watching Yeto and Yeta kiss for ten minutes straight.

-though he couldn't deny that he too wanted to know the answer-

Wild didn't miss a beat. He shrugged and said, "I don't know," and hauled up the bin into his arms and carried it back into the kitchen.

Yaro's friend smacked him in the arm. "See? You embarrassed him!"

_-Charles is fine. I'm taking him home. The anti-pain medication the doctors put him on left him a little loopy._

_-Was he upset?_

_-I think he was more disappointed he wasn't a Hero. His ego took a bigger blow._

"Are you done eating?"

Twilight looked up from his text conversation with Warriors. "Huh?"

Wild gestured to his still uneaten plate of food. "Do you want me to get you a take-out box?"

"Oh... uh, no. I'm not going to finish it."

"You sure? There's a lot left."

"I'm sure," said Twilight, passing over his plate.

Wild put the plate into his bin. He didn't walk away. "Hey, are you okay? I noticed you've been sitting here for a while."

"Shit, do you need me to vacate?"

"Nah, man. Sit here as long as you need to. Besides, how bad would it look if I threw out a Hero?"

Twilight shook his head. "You don't need to give me special treatment. I can leave if I need to."

"Whoa there, grumpy-face," Wild said. He set the bin down, pulled out a chair across from Twilight and sat down. "Don't put words in my mouth. I'm just... worried. You usually come in here with the other Heroes, and now you're alone and you look upset. Do... you want to talk about it?"

Twilight was a little thrown by the offer. As the Chosen Heroes, it was expected of him to always step up and take charge, even in areas where he was sorely unqualified for. He's been asked to save kittens from trees, help with math homework, officiate weddings, notarize papers, act as a judge in spelling bees, and even before he started college, he was automatically signed up for every sport program on campus. To convince the Dean he didn't want to play sports was a headache in itself.

To have someone ask Twilight about _his_ concerns was... different.

Twilight almost told Wild everything. His frustrations about finding the next Hero. The feeling of desperation crawling upon him. The guilt of having yet another person failing the test and physically punished for it. He could tell Sky and Warriors were feeling it as well, leaving them all mentally exhausted as the days go by.

A text notification caught Twilight's attention. It was from Time. He was probably waiting for an update of the Choosing.

Like that, the wind from Twilight's sails drifted away and he slumped his shoulders in defeat. _No_ , Twilight thought. This wasn't Wild's problem, nor should Twilight involve an outsider into something he wouldn't understand.

"I'm fine," Twilight said. He gave Wild a weak smile. "Really."

"Alright..." Wild said. "But hey, if you ever need to talk..."

"You'll be the first I come to. Thanks."

Twilight waited till Wild walked away to look at the text.

_-I found the next Hero._


	7. Chapter 7

The rented ballroom of the Hotel Nayru was almost as lovely as the ballroom in Hyrule Castle. It was empty at the moment, its table and chairs tucked away for future events. The walls were decorated with golden wallpaper, which seemed to shine whenever the light hit just right. The carpet was so pristine, it looked as if they just laid it down yesterday. To complete the elegant look of the room, a giant crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. Definitely a step up from the cold, drafty art room.

Warriors whistled. "Hoo-wee! Look at this place. Haven't been in a room this fancy since my introduction."

"It's lovely," Sky agreed. "A fitting place to meet our new companion. How soon are we to expect them?"

Twilight checked his phone. "Time's ETA is about ten minutes."

They were also dressed more formally than usual. They traded in their jeans for black trousers, their simple graphic Ts for ironed white shirts and jacket suits.

"After years of searching," Warriors murmured. "Is there a possibility Time is wrong?"

Sky held the Master Sword in his arms, swathed in the same blue silk as before. A gentle smile tugged at his lips. "He's never wrong," he said, hugging the sword closer to his chest.

There was a knock at the double doors, catching their attention. Twilight barely moved towards them when they suddenly burst opened with a bang.

 _"What's up, bitches?"_ Legend exclaimed, walking in like he owned the place. He looked like he just walked off the beach, wearing shorts, slippers, and a loose fitting shirt. "Didja miss me?"

"Not for a single second," said Warriors. "Get over here and give me a hug, you bastard. How you've been?"

Legend embraced his friend, slapping him on the back. "Tired," he answered. "I came as soon as I could, but trying to find a cheap flight out of Koholint Island is not easy. Are the others here yet?"

"Knock-knock," said another voice from the doors. "We're not late, are we?"

It was Hyrule and Swords. Swords gave a two finger salute as a greeting. He was dressed like every other college student around the quad, wearing an oversized hoodie and his hair tied back in a loose ponytail. Hyrule always dressed like he was going to church. He wore ironed trousers and a solid colored shirt.

Handshakes and hugs were exchanged all around.

"Guys!" said Twilight. "You came just in time. It's good to see you. I thought you'd be too busy to come."

Swords snorted. "If Time found a Hero, they're legit and I want to see."

Time was the one who found Twilight, Hyrule, Warriors and his twin sister, Linkle. He's also located and identified several princesses. Though Sky carried and looked after the Master Sword, Time was the one whose face was featured in majority of the magazines and newspapers. He absolutely hated paparazzi, and he was the one who helped put in place several laws that restricted younger heroes from getting photographed. If it wasn't for those laws, Twilight and the others would be hounded every day of their lives.

"Speaking of..." Warriors said, looking out at the empty hallway. "Has anybody seen my sister? She said she landed but she should've been here already."

 _"She got lost,"_ said everyone at the same time.

"Aw, c'mon! Have more faith in her! She can't be lost, she's probably-" His phone notification dinged and he looked down at the screen. His shoulders slumped. "She caught the wrong plane. She's in Termina."

 _"Told ya,"_ said everyone in unison again.

"Fuck all of you."


	8. Chapter 8

Time arrived only a few minutes later.

He entered the ballroom quietly. He gave the others a brief nod of acknowledgement, then addressed to the person outside. "Come on in. I want to introduce you to everyone."

A young boy barely twelve years old entered the room. He had floppy blond hair, large black eyes, and as he walked in, his back was straight as a rod, his face tight like he needed to poop. Twilight remembered being that nervous.

"Wind," said Time, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. He gestured to everyone in the room. "These are the Heroes chosen by the Goddess."

"HELLO!" The boy squeaked loudly.

Everyone chuckled.

Entering the room behind them was an older woman and a little girl, presumably Wind's family. It was rare to have family bear witness to a Choosing. More than once a relative have started fist fights. They waved at them and stood to the side, watching the event unfold.

"Heroes," Time addressed the group. "This here is Wind. He lives on the island of Outset in the south sea. Last week his island was attacked by a giant squid and he fought it off. Thanks to him, many lives were saved."

Everyone cheered and clapped. Wind's cheeks turned scarlet and his eyes turned towards the floor.

Time continued. "Wind has shown bravery in the face of great peril. He succeeded where many would have failed. I have no doubt he possesses the Hero's Spirit."

Sky stepped forward. He kneeled down in front of Wind, pulling away the blue silk clothe from the sword. At the sight, Wind's sister and grandmother gasped.

"Holy shit!" His sister yelled.

"Aryll! Language!" Her grandmother chastised.

That broke some of the tension. Wind suddenly laughed, his body relaxing for the first time since he entered the room. He sobered quickly, biting his lip as he stared at the sword. "Is that... really the Master Sword?"

"Yes, it is. She will be the one to truly determine your soul." He turned the sword around so the hilt faced him. "Do you accept her judgment?"

Wind didn't take it immediately. His left hand gripped the side of his shirt, tugging on it. "What happens if I don't take it?"

"Nothing," said Sky. "If you want, you can turn around, leave, and never return. We can't force you to take the blade."

Wind bit his lip once more. He raised his hand up and hovered it over the hilt. He gave a little exhale of breath, and grasped it.

Sky stepped away, pulling the scabbard off, taking it with him.

Nobody spoke as Wind stood there, sword in hand, holding it up high. His reflection in the blade stared back at him as his mouth opened in fascination. He lowered his arm and touched the edges, running a thumb over it. "It's so light," he murmured softly. He swung the blade downward, testing it, a whistling noise echoing as it cut through air. Wind gave a little giggle, then swallowed, his boyish smile melting away to a frown.

Twilight knew that look. Wind was coming to the realization he was a Hero. This wasn't a game or fantasy anymore for him, it was truth. As proud as Twilight was for the boy, he mourned for him as well. Wind's childhood was now over.

Wind blinked up at the other heroes. "Um... now what?"

"Boring stuff," said Time. "We need to go over some papers, talk to your grandmother about your new duties, expectations and so forth. But first, I have question to ask."

He kneeled down in front of Wild. "For every Hero, there is a princess. For every princess, there is a Hero. If you find one, you usually find the other. So tell me... do you know who your princess is?"

Wind shook his head. His floppy blond hair fell over his eyes. "I... I have never met the royal family."

"It's just a title," said Time. "Not every princess is born as a royal. Do you know someone who is wise beyond her years? Someone you feel protective over? It could be a friend, a neighbor... or even a sibling?"

As he said this, he gave a slight glance over to Aryll.

The little girl gave out an obnoxious laugh. "HA! It's probably that pirate he's in love with!"

Wind's entire face went red. He yelled back at his sister through gritted teeth. "Aryll!"

"Pirate?" Time questioned. "So there is someone?"

"Argh!" Wind yelled, trying to bury his burning face away. It was difficult to do while still holding the Master Sword. "...Maybe? I don't know. She actually came to Outset Island wanting to rob us. But then the squid attacked and she... helped me. Her name is Tetra."

"Tetra," Time repeated. "She is your princess, then?"

Wind took a moment to think about it, hugging the sword close to his chest. Though the edge of the blade dug into the fat of his arm, it did not cut him.

"Yes," said Wind finally. "She is my princess."


	9. Chapter 9

"So, what do you think?"

"What do I think?" Twilight echoed back. He stared over to where Wind sat with the others. Earlier Wind's grandmother took Aryll to the movies, letting Wind to spend his time with the heroes uninterrupted. Legend went ahead and ordered several pizzas. The group could have gotten the tables and chairs out, but they chose to sit on the floor. With pizza and soda in hand, Wind seemed to finally relaxed around the heroes, asking various questions without hesitation and getting unbiased answers in return. Twilight had gotten up to dispose of some of the empty pizza boxes when Time followed and asked him the question.

"He's perfect," Twilight said. "He's a sweet kid. I don't know how you do it. Sky, Warriors and I have been at it every single week and I don't think we're any closer to finding a Hero since day one."

"Just remember I have more experience than you," Time said. "I recognize the signs more easily, listen to my instincts, and I have learned from my mistakes."

"Mistakes?" Twilight asked, smirking. "Oh? You failed in the search? Do tell."

Time gave a soft chuckle. "So eager to see me fall, pup? Sorry to ruin your fun, but I have never failed in finding a Hero. I... failed in bringing them home."

Twilight blinked. He glanced over to the others, making sure they were not listening in. Four was in the middle of telling Wind about his adventures with the Picori, and the young kid was absolutely fascinated. Twilight turned back to Time, pitching his voice low. "What do you mean?"

Time's lips tightened. "You know my feelings on the Goddess."

Twilight did. Time didn't exactly keep it a secret. He always declined going to services at the local temple, never bothered with prayers, and when Sky asked to look after the Master Sword, Time let him without argument. Even on the day Twilight was brought on, Time passed over the sword and said, _"This is not a gift. This is a burden, and I hope one day you'll forgive me for passing it onto you."_

Twilight didn't understand what he meant back then.

"If I could," Time continued. "I would have left Wind on that island. Leave him to be a kid. His only worries should be homework and puberty, not the fate of the world and his place in it. But things happen and Heroes emerge because of it. My mistake was believing fates such as ours could be ignored."

"What are you saying? Did... did you leave a Hero behind?"

Time said nothing but it was enough clarification. Twilight gaped at him, unsure how to take this information. Unlike Time, Twilight held no strong feelings against the goddesses. Yes, it sucked he too was forced into this life, knowing even after death his soul was bound to this cause. He would love to have a normal life, never have to worry about things like _monsters_ and _dismemberment._ But when he was the one who asked for this. He wanted the power to save his friends. And despite everything, he has never regretted meeting Midna. He couldn't imagine life not as a Hero.

"What happened to them?" Twilight asked. "You wouldn't look so guilty if you just left them be. Are they... _are they dead?"_

Time stared out at the others. Hyrule was in the middle of teaching Wind how to throw a proper punch, using Legend as the test dummy.

"Yes," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time's speech to Twilight is taken from Zac Gorman's comic, https://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/714/997/cf6.gif
> 
> I would link directly to his website, but goodness, I can't find it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: blood, mild body horror, men harassing a woman

Twilight didn't see the point of going to class if all he was going to do was stew in anger. He sat in his chair, staring off into the distance, a scowl planted firmly on his face. His peers noticed his ire and pointedly took seats away from him. Even the professor felt the tension in the room. He carried on his lesson, throwing cautious looks over to Twilight every five seconds.

Time refused to tell Twilight the name of the Hero.

"Out of respect for his family," Time had said. "They deserve their anonymity."

"Are you kidding me?" Twilight hissed at him. "This was our brother in arms! I have a right to know his name!"

"No, you don't."

When Time used that tone of voice, Twilight knew he was never getting answers out of him. The old man was like a brick wall. Twilight ended up excusing himself from Wind's orientation early just to avoid poisoning the atmosphere with his anger.

Hours later and Twilight was still angry about it. He's spent the entire class repeating Time's words over and over in his head, hearing not a single thing the professor had to say.

Bah. Sitting here was useless. Twilight suddenly stood up, startling the class. The professor stopped in mid-sentence, choking on the last word. Twilight grabbed his book bag, slung it over his shoulder and left swiftly, much to the relief of everyone.

Outside the world was dark and cool. Ah, the curse of having an 8PM class. The campus grounds were empty of bustling students, and the majority of the surrounding buildings had no lights on. Twilight shivered, zipped up his hoodie and started walking back to his room. He needed to talk to Warriors and Sky, see if they know anything.

Twilight walked through the empty quad, keeping an eye out around him. Though very little would dare threaten a Hero, walking alone in an empty university campus was never a good idea.

He spotted a group of people about fifty feet away. He continued to look at them as he walked, feeling a little relieved at the sight of other people on campus. Twilight would never admit it out loud, not even to himself, but he didn't like being alone. He always felt better knowing someone was near by. The job unfortunately often required isolation, so he swallowed his fear and dealt with it. People were looking to _him_ to feel safe after all.

The group appeared to be of five people. It was hard to tell in the dark. All of them were carrying beer bottles. Even from this distance Twilight could smell the alcohol. He was just about to leave them to their fun when he paused, taking a more scrutinized look at them. It was four men and one woman standing around.

No, Twilight thought darkly as he turned and began to walk towards them. It was four men _surrounding_ one woman.

He picked up his pace. The closer he got, the more of their conversation he could hear.

_"Look, we just wanna have some fun."_

_"Please, I don't want to-"_

_"C'mon, don't be like that."_

_"We're being nice. Stop acting like we're doing something wrong."_

"Is there a problem here?" Twilight said loudly, catching their attention. "I noticed that... Charles? Is that you?"

It was. Twilight had not seen the young man since the ceremony last week. There was gauze still wrapped around Charles' right hand. In his left he carried a beer bottle. Charles stepped away from the young woman, his handsome face twisted in an ugly glare as he faced Twilight. "Piss off, Hero. This isn't your business."

The woman, seeing an opportunity, broke out from the group of men and ran over to where Twilight was, ducking behind him.

"Did they hurt you?" He asked her.

She shook her head. "I just want to go."

"Go ahead. I'll stay to make sure they don't follow."

She ran off. Twilight watched until she was no longer visible and turned back towards the group. Though they reeked of beer, none of them looked overly drunk. They did however appeared annoyed Twilight took away their toy.

"Charles," Twilight began. "What the hell, man? You're better than this."

"Obviously not good enough," Charles said, holding up his bandaged hand. "So I thought to myself, what's the point? It's already been decided I'm a lousy piece of shit."

"It's not about being good enough," Twilight said. "It's about soul. If you have-"

Charles threw his head back and groaned. "Oh my goddess, shut up! I heard enough of your crap last week!"

"Fine then," Twilight said. He turned. "Just don't let me catch you again harassing women-"

He barely dodged the beer bottle thrown at his head. The bottle shattered on the ground next to him, sending cheap beer and glass shards over his shoes. He turned, his mouth bearing a snarl, when the other men threw their bottles as well.

Twilight had to drop his book bag to move out the way swiftly. Three bottles shattered loudly at his feet, soaking the cuffs of his pants.

"I don't want to fight you!" Twilight yelled at them. That was a lie. He's been angry for the past couple of hours and a fight would feel so _good_ right now. However it was unethical to fight civilians no matter how angry he was. "Back off!"

"Make me," said Charles. He and the other men charged.

Twilight shifted into a stance, letting a small smirk creep on his face.

The men surprisingly were experienced fighters. Of course he'd expected Charles to be. The man _was_ a potential Hero. The other three nameless morons were just as good. That was fine, Twilight didn't mind a challenge. Twilight blocked every blow, ducked every punch, avoided kicks and wild hits like he was dancing in a ballet. He didn't want to hurt the men, but none of them were letting up. It was best to let them tire out, realize this was useless fight and they might back down.

"Oh, fuck this..." He heard Charles hiss. Twilight twisted, bringing up his arm to block another punch, when the sharp edge of a knife sliced across his forearm.

Twilight yelped in pain and staggered back. In Charles' hand he held a switchblade, soaked with blood. The sudden pain distracted Twilight long enough for Charles to come at him again.

Goddamn it. Twilight shouldn't have been holding himself back. He needed to end this quickly-

He was cut again, this time across the shoulder. Then again, across his cheek. Blood splattered in his eyelashes, partially blinding him.

Charles was not playing around anymore. The man meant to kill him.

_-then Twilight would have no choice but to kill him first-_

"Charles, stop!" Twilight yelled out. He had to give Charles one last chance. "You're going down a dark path and you won't like where it leads!"

"You're the one who showed me the door," said Charles. He held the blade high. Twilight readied himself, already imagining grabbing the blade and shoving it into Charles' chest.

"Hey!" Cried out a familiar voice.

Wild suddenly came out of nowhere, kicking Charles' still burned hand, cracking it like an egg.

Charles screamed and dropped the knife. He stumbled back, clutching his 2x ruined hand to his chest.

"Bastard!" He yelled angrily, spittle flying from his mouth. "You bastards!"

Wild put himself between Twilight and the other men. "If you want to hurt one of my best customers, then you have to go through me first!"

Twilight choked. "I'm your _what-?_ "

One of the men held up his hands in defeat. "Man, I don't want to mess with _two_ Heroes. I'm done."

The others agree. They gathered Charles and helped him to his feet.

"I'm not done with you, yet!" Charles screamed as he walked away, tail between his legs. "Goddamn Heroes! I'm not done with you yet!"


	11. Chapter 11

_"-hurt one of my best customers, then you have to go through me first!_ Really? That's how you refer to me?"

Wild shrugged. "It was the spur of the moment, so sue me. It wasn't as if I was lying. You and the other Heroes leave the biggest tips."

They were in the coffee shop, one hour after it closed. The chairs were stacked on top of the tables, the food areas were wiped clean, and the smell of disinfectant tickled Twilight's nose. Twilight sat at the counter, the first aid kit opened in front of him as he cleaned his wounds. The bleeding had long stopped at this point. He used a clean clothe to dab away the blood and then closed the wounds with butterfly strips.

Wild was grabbing something out of the fridge from behind the counter. He stepped back, two sodas in hand, kicked the fridge door closed and set one of the cans in front of Twilight.

"Thanks," said Twilight. "I'll have it once I'm done cleaning."

"Wow, I expected the wound to be deeper," said Wild, watching him.

"Heroes heal fast," Twilight explained. "I should be fine by tomorrow morning, but I still need to watch out for infection till then."

Wild popped the tab on his can. He took a sip. "So... what was that stuff back there? I come out of class, thinking about homework only to come upon a Hero needing help. Who attacked you, if you don't me asking."

"An unsatisfied customer. He... Charles had the potential to be a Hero but when he was rejected, I guess he took it harder than expected. Once I'm done here, I need to speak to the authorities. He's lucky the worse he'll get is prison. If you hadn't come along, it would have turned out worse for him."

Wild gave an uneasy grin. "What, are you saying you were planning to kill him?"

"Yes."

The bluntness of the answer had Wild's eyes widening in alarm. A slight twinge of redness appeared on his cheeks. "Oh... I... wow. I mean... I didn't know Heroes were allowed to do such things."

Twilight began cleaning off the blood from his face. He had to use the shiny metal napkin dispenser as a mirror. The cut had gone across one of his tattoos, and though the wound be gone in a couple of hours, he hated that this tiny wound will leave a line.

"It's not like we're incapable of it," said Twilight, dragging the clothe down his cheek. "But we will if we have to. Monsters _and_ humans."

"Wow," Wild said again. "And you won't get in trouble for that?"

"It's not a guarantee I'll walk away without consequences, but the royal family stands by the Heroes quite fiercely. It is likely I would be pardoned before the sun rose the next day."

"That's intense."

Twilight hummed in agreement. He finished cleaning and tossed the last of his supplies into a nearby trashcan. He clean his hands, then grabbed the soda can. "Cheers," he said.

"Cheers," Wild agreed, tapping his own can with Twilight's.

Usually Twilight didn't care for soda. Majority of the drinks were too sweet, leaving a bad aftertaste in his mouth. This time the cool, fizziness was a welcoming sensation. He took a long, deep drink, sighing when he came back up for air. He pressed the can against his forehead. "Thanks, I needed this."

"I'd offer a coffee, but everything's been cleaned and turned off." Wild gestured around him. "But if you really want one, I can whip something up."

"That's alright. But, um... can I ask a personal question instead?"

Wild gave a long suffering sigh. "You want to ask about my scars."

"Yeah... if you don't mind..."

"Well, I'm going to tell you the same thing I tell everyone else. I don't know."

Twilight nodded, disappointed. "I get it, it's too personal to talk about."

"No, you misunderstand me. I literally don't know." Wild tapped the side of his head with his knuckles. "I have no memories prior to three years ago."

Twilight frowned. "What do you mean? Like... _everything_ is gone?"

Wind opened his mouth, then paused. He gave Twilight a scrutinizing look. "Do you really want to know? Because it's not pretty, and I'll understand if this is too much too handle. It's not like we're close friends."

Now that hurt. He wasn't wrong though. The only interactions they've had were of customer/employee, and it wasn't a relationship that allowed close personal conversations like, _what's your deep terrifying trauma?_

"I'm willing," said Twilight. "I am a Hero after all..."

Something in Wild's expression softened, then it was gone, ducking his head to dig out his cell phone from his pocket. "Well, let me show you this. It'll explain a few things quickly."

He pulled up something on the screen and handed the phone over to Twilight. It was a news article.

The headline read: **Teen Boy Found Half-Dead On Riverbank**

Oh goddess, Twilight mentally thought as he scrolled down to the article. Wild drank his soda in silence as Twilight continued reading.

_Last night around 11:45PM, two fishermen spotted a body washed on the riverbanks near Lake Hylia. They called it in, and when moved their boat closer to investigate, they realized it was a teen boy and he was still alive. He was taken to the local hospital for treatment. Authorities consider his condition serious but stable. Due to the severity of his wounds, police believe he may have been a victim of the mafia group, Yiga Clan. If anyone has information about the teen's identification or what happened to him to please contact their local police._

Twilight put the phone down. This entire time he'd imagined a house fire or a car fire. He never consider the idea someone did this to him and then tried to dump his body. Who would do this to a teenager?

Twilight felt sick. "Do you know what happened?"

"Not a clue," said Wild. "My fingerprints were burnt off and apparently no dental records of mine exist somewhere out there, so nobody has been able to identify me. I had to be put under a medical induced coma for a hundred days otherwise the burns would've been too unbearable to handle. The doctors think with the combination of the trauma and coma, my brain reset itself, wiping away my memories."

"Nothing has come back?"

Wild waved a vague hand. "I get flashes or glimpses here and there. Nothing to write home about."

"And... your home?"

"Now that," Wild said softly. "Is the other part of the bigger question, isn't it? As far as I know, nobody has come looking for me. Maybe they don't know I'm here... maybe they just don't care. It's not something I like to think about."

He finished his soda and tossed the can towards the nearest trashcan. It landed perfect inside with a dull THUNK. "And that's my life's tragic tale. So what do you think?"

Wild startled to see Twilight crying.

"O-oh...! Hey, it wasn't that bad, was it?" Wild asked, slightly panicking. "Look, see? I'm fine, I'm fine!"

Twilight bent his head, wiping away the tears furiously with his hands. "Goddamn it..."

When Iila lost her memories, she was sent into a spiral of depression. She would have screaming fits and nightmares that wouldn't end. There were moments where she'd hold something like a childhood toy and just stare at it like it held all the answers to the universe, getting angrier by the second when nothing familiar came to her. It took the efforts of both Twilight and Bo to finally convince her to go therapy. Iila was much better now, though she was not the same person Twilight knew from childhood. She was quieter, had less energy, and she took little pleasure in the things she once enjoyed. Twilight hated there was nothing he could do for her but wait.

Iila at least had a support system. She had the entire village behind her, willing to help. Wild had no one. The thought of having to go through all of that without family or friends broke Twilight's heart.

Goddess, Sky was right: Twilight's empathy was more of a curse than a blessing.

"C'mon, man," Wild begged. "You're making me look like the bad guy here..."

"Sorry," Twilight said. He grabbed a few napkins and wiped down his face. He sniffle and straightened. "I can't even imagine. I'm sorry that happened to you."

"I know," Wild said. "But hey, my life hasn't been terrible so far. I have a job I enjoy, I'm taking classes- _for free,_ thanks to a scholarship. So it's not like I'm stagnant."

"That's good. If there's anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to ask."

"Do you mean that?"

"Of course."

Wild suddenly came around the counter, taking the seat next to Twilight. He leaned in eagerly. "As a Hero, do you have access to the Royal Archives?"

Twilight blinked, surprised by the question. He thought Wild would ask about money or emotional support. As fancy as the name sounded, the Royal Archives housed only mundane information like receipts and lunch meat orders. It held no national secrets. "I guess. I don't see why I would be barred from looking."

"Could you look up past employees who worked at the palace? The cooks, specifically?"

"Why?"

"Because there is one thing I have kept from my past life: _I know how to cook._ I have no memories learning. I always assumed a parent must have taught me. Knowing how to cook is what helped me get this job. But... I also know how to make _Royal Fruitcake._ "

Twilight understood where he was going with this. "And only those who've cooked at the palace know the recipe."

"Yes," Wild said, nodding eagerly. "I have tried to get access, but they won't even let me get near. If you-"

"It's already done," said Twilight. "I'll go tomorrow and see if I can get access. If I find something, I'll come back to you."

A small sob forced its way out of Wild's mouth. His face crumpled and he curled in himself, hiding the tears. Twilight placed a gentle hand on his back.

 _"I know it's a long shot,"_ Wild said, his voice thick and heavy. _"I could've learned from an leaked recipe online or something. It doesn't mean I was... but this is the closest I have ever been to an answer."_


	12. Chapter 12

By the time Twilight got back to his apartment, he felt like he was going to keel over. Besides the soda Wild had given him, he'd nothing to eat or drink for the past couple of hours. It took him at three tries to fit his key into the lock before walking into his darken apartment. He barely got a few feet in when suddenly a light came on, blinding him. In the living room Warriors twirled around in a chair in a dramatic fashion, his hands laced together.

"Well, well, well, look who is walking back in after midnight? Who is she?"

Twilight groaned and tossed his keys down upon the counter. "Not everyone is a horn-dog like you, you know."

"What other reason would you come back so late..." Warriors trailed off, getting a good look at him. "Wait, are you hurt? Is that _blood?"_

"I'm fine. Let me sit and I'll explain."

Twilight told him about the unknown Hero Time left behind. He told him of Charles and the declaration for revenge. And though it felt wrong to speak of Wild's tragic past without his consent, Twilight told Warriors what happened at the café as well.

By the end of it all, Twilight's throat was burning. He's never needed to talk so much before.

Warriors huffed. "Leave it to the Old Man to make everything vague. _Hey, want to know a dark secret? Too bad!_ I swear he does this shit on purpose. Damn shame about Charles. I was really rooting for the guy."

"I'm so tired," Twilight said. He needed sleep. He needed food. All he's had in the past couple of hours was that single can of soda. A headache was forming behind his eyes. With a groan he asked, "How was it with Wind? Was he upset I left early?"

"He was a little sad. He really wanted to ask you about the tattoos. But we told him you had class. He'll be here for at least a week before going back home. I think tomorrow him and his family are gonna play tourist and check out the area."

"That's nice."

"Dude, get to bed. You look like you're about to tip over."

"Yeah..." Twilight said, swiping at his eyes. He got up. "I wanna take a shower first."

"Oh, but one last thing before you go..." Warriors gave the biggest shit-eating grin in his life. "So you now have a new best friend to call your own. Congrats."

Twilight rolled his eyes. "He's just a kid who needs help."

"Call him whatever you want. Friend, protégé, newly-acquired little brother... you're already willing to go to war for him."

"I'm willing to look up some information for him."

Warriors shrugged, clearly not swayed by Twilight's bullshit.


	13. Chapter 13

The Royal Archives was a quiet, unassuming place. Unlike the library or palace, the building was plain in its design. It was a large blocky building with very little windows. It wasn't built anywhere significant; it was on a random street deep into Castle Town, and the closest parking garage was three blocks away. It was as if the archives didn't want people to know where it was.

As Twilight walked up to the plain building, he stopped briefly at a homeless man sitting near the front steps. He dropped a rupee in the man's donation hat.

The man picked up the rupee and held it back out towards Twilight. "You do realize this is a _purple_ rupee you just gave me."

"Yes," said Twilight. "I'm aware."

"And... you're not expecting me to do something in return?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Goddess, _no._ "

"Just making sure..." said the man. He pocketed the rupee. "Thank you very much!"

Twilight entered the building. The lobby was just as boring as the outside, the lobby reminding Twilight of a dentist waiting room. There was a double-door entrance next to the front desk and it had a large EMPLOYEES ONLY sign on it. The receptionist at the desk was a young woman wearing horn-rimmed glasses, lazily reading a HYRULE TODAY magazine. Twilight walked over to the desk.

"Hello, I'd like to get access to the archives."

The receptionist barely looked up as she slid over a sheet on a clipboard. "Fill this out and your request will be processed in two to three weeks."

"Two to three weeks? Miss, I'm a _Hero_. Can I just skip all of this?"

The receptionist finally glanced up at him. Nothing in her expression changed. "Everyone is treated the same. Fill out of the application, please."

So much for finally using his Hero status to get something. Twilight picked up the application, briefly looking over it. Under the question what files he would like to look at, there were only three options he could choose from.

_-Royal Lineage_

_-Maps_

_-Historical Sites_

Twilight made a face. "Miss, I want to look up employment at the castle. What do I put down for that?"

"Citizens can only choose from those options."

"I'm not a citizen, I'm a Hero-"

"I heard you the first time, sir."

Twilight bit down on his tongue. He was not going to lose it on a receptionist. He was better than that. "Look... what can I do to look up more information than this basic stuff? Surely there's plenty of specialty requests that come your way."

"Not really."

He was going to lose it. "Now listen here you little-"

The EMPLOYEES ONLY doors suddenly opened and a young woman with long golden hair stepped out. She saw Twilight and stopped.

It was Sun, Sky's beloved princess.

"Twi!" She gasped. She rushed forward, throwing her arms around Twilight's shoulders, nearly toppling them both over. The clipboard fell to the ground with a clatter. "It's so good to see you! Let me see your tattooed face, you silly boy!"

Sun grabbed Twilight's face, squeezed his cheeks like an overzealous grandmother before slapping them heartedly and stepped back. "I wasn't expecting to see you till later on this week! How have you been?"

Out of all the princesses, Sun was easily the most affectionate one. She always sent cakes on the guys' birthdays, actively fought for the rights of animals, and when a new Hero or princess was found, she always made efforts to greet them as soon as possible, even if it means ignoring all other priorities.

"Hello Sun," Twilight said. He rubbed his aching cheeks. "I'm great. It's good to see you, it's been too long."

"I know! I just got in this morning. I'm so excited to see the new Hero! Tell me how he is. Sky says he's adorable."

"He is, he is. He's a sweet kid."

"Has he identified his princess yet?"

"He believes so. A pirate by the name of Tetra."

"A pirate? How exciting! Oh! What are you doing here? I didn't think the archives was a place a young man like yourself frequented."

"I'm here for research."

"Is that all? I can take you to the back. C'mon!"

She hooked her arm around Twilight's and tugged him towards the EMPLOYEES ONLY door. Twilight looked over to the receptionist with a smug smile, only to see she had gone back to her magazine.

Twilight had been harboring the idea the inner workings of the archives to look like something out of _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ : a giant warehouse with hundreds of boxes and crates expanding as far as the eye could see. Instead, it looked like a library. There were large book shelves that reached all the way to the ceiling. Blue binders as thick as dictionaries filled every space. The shelves were numbered by a system Twilight was not familiar with.

"What are you looking for?" Sun asked. "I'm pretty well-versed in the layout of this place."

"I'm looking for the records of those who worked in the palace the past five years," said Twilight. "Specifically anyone in the kitchen."

"Is this for school?"

"It's... a personal project."

"I get it. I'm here on my own project." Though they were alone, Sun pitched her voice low in a whisper. _"I think I may have found a new princess."_

Twilight's heart leapt. "What! Really? That's amazing!"

"I know, right? But don't celebrate just yet. I've been wrong before. I want to confirm a few things before actually talking to her. I don't know how Time does it. I'm jealous. Ah... here we are."

Sun stopped at an aisle and tapped her hands against the blue binders. "Here's where your information will be. Just be sure to put everything back when you're done. The employees here have a stick up their arse about these things."

"I've noticed. Thanks, Sun."

Sun gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I'm going to meet with Sky for lunch. Be sure to tell me your results if they prove fruitful!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to 3am_Updates for giving me the discord name for the Zeldas!


	14. Chapter 14

Two hours and a shit load of reading later, Twilight found nothing of value.

Everyone who had ever worked in the kitchen was over the age of twenty-five. Even the waiters and apprentices were well into their twenties. Wild said he was probably in his late teens, but thanks to his amnesia he honestly didn't know. Unless he was the youngest looking twenty-five year old in the world, Twilight doubted he was older than twenty-one.

Maybe one of the cooks were Wild's parents? Unfortunately the binders didn't contain any information if the employee were married or had children.

By hour three Twilight chose to give up. He sighed tiredly, rubbed his aching eyes and closed the binder. There were just too many people. Unless Wild could provide a name or description, Twilight was running blind here.

"Fuck," Twilight muttered as he placed the binder back on the shelf.

"So that's the basic rundown of it," said Twilight. "You could still be the child of a chef, but that sort of information may take a lot longer to get than a few hours at the archives."

Wild sat in the chair opposite of him. He stared wordlessly out at the café, his fingers rapping the table. He was in the middle of his break, his green aprin draped across his lap. He huffed. "I knew it was too good to be true."

"Sorry," said Twilight.

"No, it's not your fault. Shouldn't have put too much faith in it. But at least you managed to ease one theory in my head. I'd rather know than be left anticipating." He sighed and slipped back on his apron. He got up, his hands tying the strings behind his back. "I need to get back to work. Thanks, man."

"Hey, let's not end this on a shitty note. I'm going to go hang out with my friends later on today. Do you want to come?"

Wild jerked. "What? With the other Heroes?"

"Yeah. Trust me, we're just like any other person."

"... Um, yeah! That sounds pretty cool! What time?"

Twilight told him.

"That's perfect, actually. I get off just an hour before. Cool, I'll see you then!"

Once Wild walked away, Twilight pulled out his phone and sent off a text.

_T- I invited Wild to hang out with us. Hope you guys don't mind._

Warriors immediately responded.

_W- Mazel Tov! You've finally found friends who aren't us!_

_T- I have friends!_

_W- Name one who's not from your village._

Twilight's thumb hovered over the onscreen keyboard as he struggled to think. A few seconds later another text by Warriors popped up.

_W- See?_

_T- Shut up_

In his hands Wild carried a decorated box. It had pink and white stripes with a tiny little pink bow on top.

"What's that?" Twilight asked.

"Cookies," said Wild. "I want to make a good impression to the other Heroes."

"Usually when people bring us cookies, they're trying to bribe us."

Wild's hands tightened on the box. "Is that the impression I'm already giving? Shit!"

"Man, don't worry, I already vouched for you."

They were walking to the local gym. Sky had already reserved a room to teach Wind basic moves and how to handle the Master Sword. Sky wanted today to be a simple, fun time of tumbling and grappling.

"Who else is going to be there?" Wild asked.

"Well, you already met Warriors and Sky. There's Legend from Koholint Island, Hyrule from the south, Swords-"

"I know him! The guy who does the blacksmith stuff on youtube, right?"

Swords had a small youtube channel where he showed how to make chainmail out of discarded soda tabs and other little metal crafts. His channel was slowly gaining popularity when he was discovered to be a Hero, and suddenly he had more than three million followers overnight. He refused to let go of his channel despite Time warning him against having it, but compromised to uploading only once a month.

"You're a fan?" Twilight asked.

"Sort of. I watch his stuff but I'm not subscribed. What about that big guy? The one with the single eye? I've seen his picture in the newspaper sometimes. Is he as intimidating as he looks?"

"No." Twilight paused. "He's worse. But he won't be here today. As the oldest, he has more duties and responsibilities to tend to. There is one new person who will be there. A newly discovered Hero. His name is Wind. He's fourteen."

"Fourteen? Damn, didn't think you guys started that young."

"That's actually average. But before we go in..."

Twilight stopped in his trek. Wild stopped too, his eyebrows raising in slight surprise.

"You need to promise me you're not going to go to the presses with anything you learn from us," Twilight said. He kept his voice level, his face stern, making damn sure this was not something to take lightly. "No facebook updates, no instagram photos, no tell-all exclusives. I don't care if you talk about me, I'm an adult and I can handle it, but Wind is still just a kid and he deserves his privacy. If I feel like you're trying to manipulate the moment to gain secrets-"

Wild scrambled to reassure him. "Oh! Yes! Yes, of course! I totally understand. When I came out of my medical coma, I was hounded by newspapers asking for interviews. They made me feel like an object, like something to be poked and prodded at. I hated it. Yes, I won't say anything, I promise."

Twilight sighed in relief. "Thanks. Sorry for scaring you. We have to be careful about these things."

"I get it. You don't want outsiders messing with your group. Good thing I brought these cookies to bribe my way in."

Twilight laughed.


	15. Chapter 15

By the time Twilight entered the rented room at the gym, the others had already finished setting up the mats on the floor. Wind looked eager to begin, running across the room with a boyish giggle, his naked feet slapping loudly on the mats. He spotted Twilight and Wild and ran over to greet them.

"Hi!" he said immediately to Wild. "Are you another Hero?"

"Um..." Wild said.

"No," said Twilight. "This is my friend. I hope you don't mind if he tags along today."

Wind shook his head. "It's alright. I like your scars!"

"Thanks," said Wild awkwardly.

Wind jogged back to the mats. Legend came over.

The man always looked like someone used his toothbrush. Though he was dressed like a beach bum, a tingle of intimidation went up Twilight's back. Legend was an unknown force to be reckoned with. He was stupidly smart; he knew four languages, was a musical prodigy, and had more magical items in his possession than should be legally possible. Even Twilight's own princess occasionally sought Legend's help in certain matters. If he wanted, Legend could rule this land.

"Who's this?" Legend asked, looking Wild over with a critical eye.

"This is my friend, Wild." Twilight said. "I invited him."

Wild gave a short wave which Legend did not return. "Since do we allow citizens privy to our meetings? Just cause he's your friend doesn't make that okay."

Before Twilight could answer, Wild popped the lid off the box and held it out. "I brought cookies."

Legend's gaze narrowed. "Is this a bribe?"

"Of course it is."

"And you think you can win us over with..." He pulled out one cookie, looked it over and took a bite. He expression suddenly brightened. " _Holy shit._ What is this?"

"Macadamia nut and fudge."

 _"Bribe fucking accepted!"_ He snatched the box out of Wild's hands and turned back to the others. "Hey everyone, this is my new best friend Wild!"

Warriors yelled back, "You better share those cookies with the rest of us!"

"Try and take it from my dead cold hands!"

Wild grinned at Twilight. "Well that was easy."

"Today we're gonna teach you how to fall."

Wind blinked up at Warriors, confused. "What... like a trust fall?"

"Absolutely not. These guys totally cannot be trusted-"

"I will drop you like a carton of eggs!" Legend yelled from the edge of the mats.

"-what you're learning is how to fall without hurting yourself too much. A bad fall can hurt your back. While a minor back injury won't put out a Hero permanently, it will still hurt like a son of a bitch. I'll demonstrate a proper fall."

Warriors walked to the middle of the mats, giving himself room. He then tilted to one side, and just before he struck the ground, he tucked and rolled, landing perfectly fine. "See what I did?"

"You... rolled."

"Yes. A body in motion stays in motion. So don't try to fight gravity, don't stop your momentum, go with it. I also protected my head, and I tucked my arms and legs on to protect my torso."

"When do we practice with the sword?" Wind asked, looking longingly at the Master Sword sitting on a nearby table.

"When you fall without hurting yourself." Warriors clapped his hands together. "Alright, let's pair up and practice!"

Twilight nudged Wild's elbow with his own as they walked over to their own part of the mats. "Is this not too boring for you?"

Wild shook his head. "No, it's actually very fascinating. It's no different than stuff I learned from my physical therapy sessions. I thought you Heroes were just naturally born fighters."

"We all have some natural skill, but like any other ability, it needs to be practiced and honed."

"Makes sense. But are you actually going to teach me to fall? Like I said, I got that from therapy." Wild took off his socks and shoes, revealing his feet had also suffered burns. Twilight saw this and said nothing.

"Nah," said Twilight. "You handled yourself well with Charles. You came out of nowhere and kicked him with incredible accuracy."

"You're welcome."

"So I'm curious. Have you taken any martial arts training?"

"Uh... not to my memory, no."

"Because a kick like that had to be taught and practiced."

Wild raised an eyebrow. "You got all of that from a single kick?"

"Get into a stance. I'm going to try to hit you and I want you to defend yourself."

"Wait, what?"

 _"Begin!"_ Twilight said, rushing him.

Twilight had no intention of hurting Wild, but if Wild really did have training before his injury, it had to be brought out by force. Wild needed to allow muscle memory to take over, and that was not going to happen if he was busy thinking about his next move.

Twilight jabbed Wild in the shoulders with rapid-fire knuckle hits, striking him again and again, forcing him back. "C'mon! Block me!"

Wild stumbled away, nearly slipping on the mats. Every time he tried to bring his arms up to block, Twilight slapped them away and kept at it. "Whoa-! Dude-! I- OW!"

"I know you're faster than this!" Twilight yelled at him. "I know you're stronger than this! Are you just going to let me hit you? Do something! Do _something!"_

Twilight struck out, ready to jab Wild once more in the side when suddenly he saw something in Wild's expression change.

In a single moment Wild's face was wide and surprised. There was blush on his cheeks from exertion, his long hair swept to one side as he tried to dodge unsuccessfully. His weight was off, his footing unsure. In the next moment, his eyes darkened. His back foot hit the mat, orienting himself, and then-

Twilight didn't see what happened next. Something slammed into him. He was knocked off his feet and he crashed to the floor, his head cushioned by the mats. A foot struck him in the chest, holding him there. Twilight gasped.

Wild towered over him, his naked, burned foot refusing to let him up. Wild looked absolutely terrifying. His jaw was set, his expression of that like a lion. If he wanted, he could have easily shifted his foot only an inch upward, crushing Twilight's windpipe.

A beat. Wild's unnerving expression suddenly was gone. He blinked, seemed to realized what he had done and took his foot off. "Oh goddess! I am so sorry! Are you okay?"

A hand swatted Twilight's back. "Your protégé has got some moves."

Twilight was crouching down by the package of bottle waters Hyrule brought in. He looked up at Warriors. "Oh, impressed by that were you? I wasn't really trying to hit him. I was trying to get him to react. Move on instinct. I knew he had training beforehand, but he really surprised me by that."

The group were taking a break before starting on Wind's sword training. Sky was sitting against the wall, looking through something on his phone. Swords and Hyrule had gone out to get some food. Wild was sitting on the other side of the room with Wind. The two were chatting easily, Wind pointing at Wild's scars and asking about them. Wild appeared a little shy, but obliged, rolling up his sleeve to show off the worst scars on his arm.

"I got some update on Charles," Warriors continued in a lower voice. "He cut and ran. His roommate hasn't seen him in days, and there's clothes missing from his closet. He also withdrew a good deal of money from his bank account and he hasn't shown up in class."

"Damn..." Twilight hissed. "Have we contacted his parents yet?"

"Police already did. They're not cooperating, no surprise."

"I feel like shit about all of this. How could we not have seen this coming? Being rejected shouldn't have made him like this overnight. This must've been the straw that broke the sand seal's back."

"It's not your fault. We all agreed Charles was the perfect candidate and..."

Warriors trailed off, his mouth dropping open. Twilight followed his gaze, perplexed what could have prompted such a reaction-

On the other side of the room, Wild was holding the Master Sword.

"It's so light," he said, smiling up at the blade.

Next to him Wind held the empty scabbard. "I know, right? I always thought it be so heavy. It's literally bigger than me and I can carry it just fine."

"I always read that-" Wild suddenly noticed the silent stares in the room. "Why are you...? Oh! Was I not allowed to touch this?" He hastily gave the sword back to Wind. "I didn't know, sorry!"

Twilight and Warriors looked at each other. They burst out laughing.

Goddess. No wonder. _No wonder_ Twilight felt the need to be protective. It was all so obvious, Twilight wanted to kick himself for not noticing earlier. After all this time, after so many people and endless hours of searching, the Hero was right there. It felt incredible. A sense of immense relief engulfed Twilight and he straightened, ready to tell Wild of his destiny.

Sky walked to the middle of the mats, holding up a hand to Twilight and Warriors. _"Don't you dare,"_ he warned them.

Twilight swallowed his next words thickly, surprised by Sky's attitude. Out of all of them, he thought Sky would be the most ecstatic by this. The man should be jumping for joy.

Sky turned to Wild. "I see you handle yourself well," he said pleasantly, acting as if the mood hadn't shifted dramatically. "Have you ever considered becoming a Hero?"

Wild looked to Twilight for clarification. When none came, he said, "Uh... Not really, no."

Twilight felt like someone kicked him in the guts.

"Are you sure?" Sky continued. "We can test you here and now. It won't be no problem."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I have too much on my plate already with school and work. I don't need the responsibility of the world on my shoulders as well."

"That's alright. It's your choice." Sky turned to look back at Twilight and Warriors, giving them a hard look. _"It's his choice."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm doing Nanowrimo this year, so this may be my last update for a month! (If I make another update, know I have no willpower. XD
> 
> and for those who want Wild's recipe: https://www.pillsburybaking.com/recipes/white-chocolate-macadamia-fudge-cookies-2862


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NANO is fucking boring and I hate focusing 100% of my writing time on one project. s' not the way I work.

The men's locker room at the gym always smelled like feet. No matter how recent their janitors mopped the floor, it always stunk. As soon as Warriors and Twilight followed Sky into the lockers, Twilight's nose hairs began burning. There were three other men in the room in various forms of undress. Twilight snapped at them, "Get out."

A man in his underwear stood up, waved his bar of soap at them and said, "What? You can't kick us out!"

Warriors turned his gaze to him and in a tone used only for his ROTC cadets, _"Hero business, get the fuck out."_

That got them moving. They gathered their pants and shoes together in a pile and quickly ran out. As soon as the echo of their footsteps disappeared, Twilight said, "We can't keep this a secret from him."

"That's not your choice to make," said Sky.

"Not our choice? He's a Hero, the sword has declared it so!"

"He didn't give consent and he's made it clear he doesn't want to be."

"I don't get it," Warriors said. "You're the one who always goes on and on about the privilege of being a Hero. How proud you get, how you always insist in asking them if they want to be one. What makes this one so different?"

"Are you kidding me?" Sky asked in disbelief. "Did you not listen to the kid? _He does not want to be a Hero._ You can't force him to take responsibility!"

"He's been chosen by the sword!"

Goddess, they were going in circles. They had left Wild with Wind, declaring they needed to have an 'emergency Heroes meeting' and ran for the lockers. Subtle they were not. Twilight understood where Sky was coming from. They always ask their potential person if they wanted to be a Hero. Ashi turned them down. They didn't try to 'accidentally' tilt the sword upwards to connect with her hand. If she didn't want to be a Hero, she had the right to walk away.

But things were different here. Wild had already touched the sword and proven himself. It was an accident, he didn't know, but he still willingly touched the sword. Would knowing about the choice beforehand really mattered?

"What about Time?" Twilight suddenly said. "I don't know if you know, but Time found a Hero and chose not to bring them home."

Sky stiffened. "What?"

Twilight explained. By the end of it, Sky sat down on the locker room benches, putting his face in his hands. "Oh goddess, Time, what have you done?" He whispered.

"We have to tell Wild," Twilight said. "Not telling him could potentially put him in danger."

"What's his last name?"

"What?"

Sky lifted his head slowly. He looked so tired. "Wild. What is his last name?"

"Oh... um... well, that's not really something we talked about-"

"Really?" Warriors said. "You're running errands for him and you don't even know his last name?"

"In my defense he probably doesn't know either!"

"And you want him to take on the responsibility of a Hero," said Sky.

Twilight snapped his jaw shut.

"Let's compromise," said Sky. "Wild said he doesn't want to be a Hero. Let's honor that." He raised his hand when Warriors and Twilight began to protest. "However... we also keep an eye on him. Keep him safe. If you feel he might be in danger... then yes. He should know."

They trained for about an hour more. Once the sun began to set, Wind told them he had to get back to his grandmother and sister for dinner. They all said their goodbyes, promising to meet up one more time before Wind's departure back to his island.

"Soooo..." Wild began once he and Twilight were outside of the gym. "Are you going to tell me what happened when ya'll ran off or am I supposed to guess?"

"It's nothing that should concern you," said Twilight.

"Oh, that's rich. You all reacted when I touched the sword and then declared a 'secret Heroes meeting.' Obviously it was about me. Heck, even Wind was annoyed you all took off. He kept saying, _I'm a Hero too!_ "

Twilight felt miserable. He didn't like lying, and he definitely didn't like this. "When Sky asked you if you wanted to be a Hero, he broke several protocols. We had to talk about it. It's nothing you did wrong, I promise you that."

"Oh..." Wild said. "Man, you Heroes have such _odd_ rules."


	17. Chapter 17

Sun had never looked so beautiful. She wore a soft white summer dress, and though it was way too cold be to wearing such an outfit, she was unbothered. She relished in the way the wind fluttered her dress around her knees, letting her hair fly. She had several Silent Princess flowers pinned to her hair, and silver gauntlets decorated her wrists. She may not be wearing a crown, but she looked absolutely regal.

"Hello, Wind," Sun said softly. "I am Sun, the chosen princess of Skyloft. It's very nice to meet you."

Wind could barely look at her, he was so entranced. Blush bloomed over his cheeks as he squeaked out, "It's very nice to meet you too..."

Twilight and the other Heroes stood to the side, watching in silence. Today was Wind's last day in Hyrule. He was going back to Outset Island with his family, and Time with him to help finish his training. This was the last time the entire group would be together until Wind's official knighting ceremony held at the castle in later months.

-or Wild's, whenever that will be-

"I know you're about to leave for home," Sun continued. "But if you would allow me... I would like to say a small prayer for you before you go. Is that okay?"

Wind nodded.

Sun bent down, tucking her dress underneath her. To Twilight's side, Sky's cheeks tightened. He revered the Princesses with the same passion as he did the Goddess, and the sight of _his_ princess kneeling like a commoner irked him.

Sun took Wind's left hand, held it gently between hers, and said, "Great Goddesses, guiding lights and protectors of our people, grant your blessings and mercies to this Valiant Youth. He has been chosen the Master Sword and he has accepted Her in return. May his bravery echo through time. Amen."

"Amen," the Heroes said together.

Everyone helped Wind's family load up their luggage into their rented car. Once done, they exchanged emails and social media accounts, promising to see each other soon.

Time pulled Twilight into a hug, patting him on the back. "I'll see you in a few months at the ceremony. Don't hesitate to call if you need something."

Twilight debated if he should tell him about Wild. It would be intelligent thing to do so. But as Twilight thought back to their last conversation, how Time refused to reveal the name of their fallen brother, Twilight gave into a childish urge to be _petty_ and kept his mouth shut. Let's see how Time liked it when secrets were kept from _him_.

"Teach him well," Twilight said, stepping back. "I'll see you all later."

Charles' father looked exactly like him. They both had the same facial structure, the same piercing blue eyes, strong nose, and though Mr. Pumber bore grey hairs around his temple and had crows feet at the edges of his eyes, he was just as handsome.

Warriors and Twilight sat in the living room of Charles' childhood home. Warriors had already been here before and he described the place as "a cowboy's wet dream." Twilight didn't know what he meant by that until he crossed the threshold.

"Ah," Twilight said, staring. Though the house sat in the middle of middle-class suburbia, the walls werre decorated with mounted animal heads, including those wild boars. The carpet looked like came out of the sixties with its maroon-colored pattern. The furniture was covered in a sheet of plastic and when Twilight sat down, he squeaked.

"Look, I don't know how many times I have to tell you boys," Mr. Parker said. He came out of the kitchen with mug of tea in hand. He offered none to the guys. "I don't know where Charles is. He hasn't talked to me in days."

"We're just trying to fill in the gaps," Warriors said. "I know some people can feel humiliated after being rejected by the Master Sword, but going from wanting to be a Hero and suddenly leaving everything behind isn't a common behavior. Now we're wondering if there was another factor in play here."

Mr. Parker took a sip of tea. "Like what?"

"Was Charles struggling in class? Did he have any financial issues? We're wondering if stress got to him."

"Not that I know of. We were all proud of him, you know, when it was revealed you were considering him to become a Hero. We celebrated. And when he later told us he was rejected, we mourned."

Twilight schooled his features to stay neutral though on the inside he was grimacing. Mourned? It was fine to be upset, but to act as if someone had died was too much.

"Did he have a girlfriend we can speak to?" Warriors continued.

Mr. Parker shrugged. "If he was to become a Hero, he needed to spend every moment studying and training. He didn't have time for frivolous activities like _women_."

Twilight frowned, slowly catching on. He shared a look with Warriors, confirming their thoughts.

Parents who actively forced their kids into becoming Heroes were called _Poes_. They hovered around their kids, watched their progression with needless intensity, and if a child failed, they wailed and whined like ghosts. There were reports of children having nervous breakdowns from the high expectations their parents put on them. In the end it didn't matter: rarely did any of them pass the first round of interviews.

"Who knew Charles would end up such a loser?" Mr. Parker continued. "No wonder he burned."

Warriors and Twilight stood. "Right, we think we got what we need here. Thank you for your time, Mr. Parker."

"Oh! Okay then. I'm sure Charles is fine, he's just having a hissy fit. It's not the first time he threw one..."

Once outside, Warriors gritted his teeth and said, "Goddamn, no wonder Charles went mad. Remember that _Poe_ from last year, who kept trying to set up Sky with her daughter? Mad, the whole lot of them."

"Now I don't even want to follow through with an arrest," Twilight said, running a finger down the thin scar on his cheek. "Charles is probably just suffering from a mental breakdown. He needs our sympathy, not punishment."

"Right. We have to find him first. I do hope he's alright."

Twilight nodded. "C'mon, let's go. Sun is waiting for us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the speech Sun gives is the same one in Skyward Sword, only slightly tweaked


	18. Chapter 18

Personally Twilight thought Rhoam Towers was an eyesore. The sky rise building was impossible to ignore and could be seen from any where in city. It sat in the middle of the richest district of Hyrule, the streets filled with pompous bigwigs, spoiled brats, and entitled bastards. During his first days as a new Hero, his Zelda had taken him here to buy him new clothes for his knighting ceremony. All day long the local rich folk kept giving him sideways glances, covering their noses as he passed, and some even outright refused to acknowledge him. If it wasn't for his Zelda, he was sure he would've been asked to leave the moment he entered the building.

Warriors whistled. "Take a look at this place," he said the moment he walked through the front doors. "I dunno, it feels like this place is more elegant than the palace itself."

"You mean more gaudy," said Twilight. He rolled his eyes at the gigantic portrait of CEO Rhoam in the lobby. It reached from floor to ceiling.

Sky patted him on the back. "Look alive. We're about to meet a Princess today. Swallow your annoyances."

Sun hummed. "No, I'm with Twilight. I've been here a few times already and it still wigs me out. One time I sneezed and I think I offended everyone here."

The gang got to the elevators. The doors opened revealing several very important-looking people. They stepped out and one man gave them a look over, clearly disapproving what he saw.

"Soup's kitchen down the street," he said to them.

 _"Eat me,"_ said Warriors.

They entered the elevator. Sun pressed the button for the top floor. Once the doors were closed she said, "I'm surprised you didn't tell him who we were. Would've been funny to see his face."

"Nah," said Warriors. "He would've come back later giving half-ass apologies and trying to suck up to us. Let him find out later."

Higher and higher they went. The dinging of a new level started to get on Twilight's nerves around level twenty-five.

"I wonder if we've been blessed recently," said Sky, breaking the silence. "I can't believe our recent run of good luck."

"Don't jinx us," said Warriors.

"It just feels nice, is all. After years of searching and getting nowhere, suddenly we have something to show."

_Level Fifty._

"But I'll admit, there's a pea in the mattress."

"Hmm?" Sun turned to Sky. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know," said Sky. "It can't be just coincidence we found a Princess so shortly after finding a Hero. And with Charles still missing... I guess I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sorry, I should follow my own advice and keep those thoughts away."

_Level Sixty._

"No," said Twilight. "I feel the same."

At level Seventy, the elevator finally stopped. The doors opened.

Rhoam's office was white. White ceiling, white carpet, white furniture. It had no walls, only windows, giving an amazing view of the city down below and letting sunlight in from every angle. The only color in the room were the two individuals sitting on the other side of the room. One was Rhoam Bosphoramus, CEO of Guardian Enterprises. He was one of the richest men in Hyrule. He wore a suit of dark blue, sat behind his unnecessarily large white desk. Sitting in one of the white couches was a young woman. Twilight assumed it was Flora, their new princess.

"Heroes!" Rhoam exclaimed, standing up from his desk and throwing his arms wide. "Come in, come in, don't be shy!"

Everyone hesitated stepping onto the pitch white carpet with their scuffed shoes.

Flora stood up. "Please, don't worry about the carpet. Come in."

With that extra invitation, the group stepped in. It took forever to cross the large room to get to them.

Flora gestured to the tea set sitting on the white table. "Would any of you like something to drink?"

"Tea?" Rhoam said, laughing. "Look at these strapping young fellows! Perhaps one of you would enjoy a nice hard drink? Flora, get them some whisky!"

Sky slapped his hand over Warrior's chest, stopping him from speaking. "No thank you, we're here on Hero business."

"Ah, straight to it? I like it. No bullshit."

Rhoam came around the desk to stand next to Flora, putting his large hand on her shoulder. His hand was bigger than her head. "This is my daughter, Flora. I always knew she was special but now you believe she is a princess? Ah, I should've seen it. Of course she is."

Flora was wearing a dark blue dress with gold lace trimmings. Her honeyed colored hair was styled in a cute pixie cute, and she had large round glasses on her face. Twilight expected her to be older, but she looked like she was barely out of her teens, her baby fat still on her cheeks. As expected, she was a beautiful girl. All princesses were.

"May I ask something?" Flora said suddenly, stepping away from her father's hand. "Why do you think I'm a princess? I haven't done anything heroic, and father makes an effort to keep my name out of the papers..."

Sun spoke. "You're right. It's a little easier to find a Hero. More often than not they perform a heroic feat beyond any man or woman is capable of and we can find them as that way. Sometimes we need the help of the Master Sword. Princesses however... they're a lot less obvious. That's where I come in. I've been having dreams about you."

"Dreams?"

"Prophetic dreams. Visions. Most princesses have them." She gestured around the room. "I've dreamt about this building. About this room. I've dreamt about the elevator ride up so often, for a moment I thought I was dreaming again when I got here. It took me some time to figure out what this place was and where, which then led me to you."

"That still doesn't mean I'm a princess. Maybe one of the maids here is."

"Please," her father said, scoffing. "There's no way a _maid_ is a princess."

Flora's mouth tightened.

Fucking awkward. Rhoam was the perfect example why family were not invited to choosing ceremonies. Often they try to make the ceremonies about _them._ There was no point in telling Rhoam that a maid was just as capable of becoming a Goddess chosen as much an heiress. From the looks of it, Flora knew it too.

Still, Flora swallowed her response and said, "The last dream I had was a frantic search of a bathroom and finding all the toilets dirty. I hear that's quite a common thing. How can you be sure it's me?"

Sun turned to Sky. Sky walked over to the table and laid the Master Sword down.

Without prompt Rhoam reached out towards the hilt.

Sky grabbed his wrist. "I'd advise against you touching it. Only those chosen by the Goddess are allowed to."

Rhoam wisely withdrew his arm.

"Miss Flora," Sun said. "If you feel in your heart you've been chosen, then please, take the sword in hand."

Sky stepped away to rejoin the others. They waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

Flora had not made a single move towards the sword. She was still staring at it, studying it in silence. Warriors looked at his watch. The soft ticking was loud enough to be heard by everyone in the stretched silence.

"Flora!" Rhoam suddenly snapped, making everyone jump. "Take the sword!"

Flora flinched. "I was just..."

"She can take as long as she needs," Sky said to him, a hint of teeth showing as he spoke. "This is her choice and _no one_ will rush her."

"Obviously she's going to take it, otherwise we wouldn't have invited you all here. Flora, hurry it up so we can get to the next part."

Flora clasped her hands to her chest. "I was just... I don't know what will happen afterwards." She looked to Sun. "What are the duties of a princess? I'm going to university next year and I don't want to give that up."

Before Sun could answer, Rhoam said, "Wait, you're still thinking of becoming a teacher? I thought we agreed you'd take over the company as CEO."

"Father, please, not now-"

"Not now? But were you ever planning to tell me? Or did you plan for me to find out years down the line when you're homeless and covered in child snot?"

Sun turned to Twilight. "That's enough, get her out of here."

"Right." He stepped forward, putting himself between Flora and her father. "Forgive me for this, your grace."

He suddenly swooped down and picked Flora up bridal-style, startling a gasp out of her. Without another word he turned and ran for the elevators, his arms full of a goddess, ignoring the bellowing protests her father from behind.

Twilight used his hip to press the down button. While the doors opened, he threw a glance back at the others. Sky was arguing with Rhoam as Warriors blocked him from going after Flora. Sun sat on the couch, pouring herself a cup of tea. She had the Master Sword in her lap.


	19. Chapter 19

Flora burst into tears.

Great blubbery droplets rolled down her fat cheeks. She took off her glasses to wipe at her eyes. The tears kept coming, splashing her lens.

Twilight awkwardly patted himself down for a handkerchief. All he had was some leftover napkins from earlier this morning when he got coffee. He handed them over to Flora.

"I'm sorry about that," he said once Flora took them.

 _"Oh shut up,"_ she said, sniffling. She dabbed her face. "God, this is so embarrassing! I just wanted to ask some questions. Get some confirmation. But no! Instead my father had butt in like usual... and YOU! Is that what you heroes do in stressful situations? Grab girls and _run?_ "

"Sorry," Twilight said again. "Sun gave me a command. She told me to get you out of the situation and I did it the fastest way possible."

They were still in the elevator, slowly descending the floors. They were at level forty now.

"I didn't expect today to be like this," Flora said miserably. "When I was a kid I used to daydream of becoming a princess. When I was told that could become a reality, it was like a dream come true. I was happy. But when today actually came, reality set in and I got cold feet. I wasn't totally against confirming if I was a princess or not... I just wanted some time to process it."

Twilight nodded. "I understand. It's a big decision. As Sky said, nobody will force you to take the sword. You can take all the time you need to make a decision."

"Ugh, I can't go back to them now like this. My eyes hurt and I'm thirsty. Forget it."

She reached over to the elevator buttons. She pressed 2-0-17. The lights lit up blue instead of white. The elevator suddenly stopped, rumbled, and shifted directions. Instead of going down, the elevator went left.

"What the-?" Twilight said.

"We're going to my study," said Flora. "I need time to cool down and I'm not going to the lobby looking like this."

A moment later the elevator stopped. The doors opened. Twilight's eyes widened.

Unlike the sterile white room of Rhoam's office, Flora's study was a sight to behold. There were books everywhere, piled high on top of each other, the nearby bookshelves filled to the brim with them. Twilight read a few titles and they were all educational books. There was a desk covered in notebooks, a computer with sticky notes around the screen, and dozens of pencils all bearing bite marks. A nearby couch with a well-used blanket on top told Twilight how often Flora slept in this room.

The study had a small kitchenette with a sink, a microwave, and a mini-fridge. Dirty mugs piled high in the sink. Flora grabbed an electric tea pot, filled it with water and turned it on. "What kind of tea do you like?" She asked, pulling open overhead cabinets. "I have chamomile... ginger... earl grey..."

"Pomegranate if you have it," Twilight said.

She pulled out a tin can. "Got it. Just give me a second."

While she was busy with that, Twilight studied the papers Flora had pinned on her wall. They were designs for a new computer. Twilight has never owned a Guardian computer, especially not since a few years back they were all hacked and millions of people lost their privacy. Nearly destroyed the entire company. Flora may not want to take over the company but it was clear she still had interest in it.

Twilight's phone vibrated. It was a text from Warriors.

_W: Dude, ur missing the best bits._

_T: Is everything okay?_

_W: Lol rhoam made the mistake of getting too aggressive towards Sun, and Sky nearly unsheathed the Master Sword. XD_

_T: Please don't let him kill the father of one our princesses._

_W: Is everything okay on your side_

_T: Y_

_W: k. ill be sure to take pics for you_

"Anything interesting?" Flora asked, nodding her head towards the cell phone.

Twilight pocketed the phone away. "My friends tell me they're still negotiating with your dad.

Flora snorted. "Negotiating. That's a nice word to put it. So while the water is boiling... can I ask a few questions?"

"Go ahead," said Twilight.

"Okay... How old are you?"

"Twenty-six," said Twilight. "Twenty-seven in two months."

"Do you go to school?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm studying agriculture."

"Agriculture? Not a degree I'd expect a Hero to get."

"I was a farmer before I became a Hero. I plan to use my degree to help out my village. We've had problems with crops rotting over the years and I want to figure out why."

"How long have you been in school?"

"About seven years."

"Seven _years?_ " Flora echoed. "Why is it taking you so long?"

"What else? Hero duties. I'm only able to take one or two classes every other semester, and I often miss out on tests... I just don't have time."

"Oh... so is it true then? If I become a princess, it's unlikely I can go to school?"

Twilight sighed. "I'm not going to lie to you. It's not easy. I get a lot of leeway cause of my Hero status but even with that I struggle to catch up. Heck, I'm missing class right now for this."

Flora hunched in guilt. "Sorry you're wasting your time here."

"Oh goddess, no. No, I didn't mean it like that. Please don't ever think that. It's an honor to meet a new princess. I want to be here."

"Not yet formally a princess," Flora said. "So what happens if I am chosen? Will you and the others Heroes train me?"

"No, the other princesses will. My job is solely to protect you and help you find your Hero."

The teapot whistled loudly, grabbing Flora's attention. She paused briefly to turn it off.

"My Hero?" She said, gathering together mugs and tea bags. "Aren't you everyone's Heroes?"

"Yes. We all swore to protect Hyrule. But for every princess, there is a Hero, and for every Hero, there is a princess. If you find one, you usually find the other."

Flora poured steaming water into the mugs. "How does that work?"

"Well, do you have someone in your life you know is brave without a doubt?"

She shrugged and brought the mugs over, handing one to Twilight. "Many of the men here on the security team are very dedicated to their jobs."

"I'm sure they are." Twilight took a sip. He was so glad he wasn't the one dealing with Rhoam right now. This was so much better. "But a Hero is not always involved with law enforcement or security detail. They're someone you know will always be there for you. Someone who makes you feel safe. Someone whom you can trust and..."

Twilight trailed off, seeing Flora's face. She was staring down at her mug, her mouth crumpling.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I think I know who my Hero could be..." Flora said. "But if that's true... then he's dead."


	20. Chapter 20

Twilight nearly choked on his tea. "Are you sure?"

Flora nodded. More tears dribbled out of her eyes and she wiped them away quickly. "I'm the daughter of one of the richest men in Hyrule. As you can imagine that puts a target on my back. In the past my security detail were swayed by the prospect of holding me for ransom. In response, my father asked a young man in the Royal Elite Program to be my personal bodyguard. We eventually became best friends. He died in the line of duty, protecting me from an attempted kidnapping."

Twilight put the mug down, suddenly feeling sick. "Oh..."

Heroes were not immortal. Dying young and violently was unfortunately part of the job. Twilight was not even thirty years and he has already broken every single one of his ribs. He's got burn scars on his stomach and legs. His ring finger on his right hand could not bend all the way down. When he was first discovered, Time brought him to the fallen Hero memorial site the royal family had in their garden. Large black stone pillars bore the names of the Hero and a prayer made by their personal princess.

There were a few pillars that had nothing on their surface and when asked, Time said they were dedicated to unknown Heroes.

The sight of that empty black space haunted Twilight. He hated the idea that one of his own were erased from history.

"I'm sorry," said Flora. "I'm sure this isn't what you wanted to hear."

"It happens," Twilight said quietly. "It's rare but it does happen. What was his name? I would like to pay my respects to him."

"I... want you to be aware we were unable to recover his body. All we have for him is a memorial plaque in my family's personal cemetery."

Twilight flinched. "I understand. His name, please."

"His name was Wild."

It took a second for that to register in Twilight's mind. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Wild. I know, it's an unusual name, thought to be fair you're named _Twilight-"_

"No, no, I don't care about _that_. His name was Wild, are you sure?"

Flora gaped at him, surprised by the sudden tone shift. "Uh... yeah-"

_"Do you have a picture?"_

"I... no, all I had were digital copies and they were corrupted when our computers got hacked. Why are you...?"

"When did he die?"

"Why-"

" _Please-!_ I just... I need to confirm something. Please."

Twilight couldn't blame her for looking so nonplussed. Flora chewed on the inside of her cheeks as she considered her options. More than once she glanced over to the elevator as if she wanted to leave this immensely fucking weird-ass situation.

"About three years ago," she finally said.

_"Where?"_

"...The Rauru settlements."

Twilight pulled out his phone and did a quick search. Wild said he'd been found on the shores of Lake Hylia. According to the map, the Rauru settlements were _ten miles_ away upstream. No wonder nobody found him.

Flora slammed her mug of tea down upon a stack of books "Alright are you going to tell me what's going on? You seem a little too eager to listen to how my best friend was killed-!"

Twilight told her. He told her everything. The coffee shop, the burns, the memory loss, the touching of the Master Sword. He even showed her the same news article Wild had shown him so many weeks ago.

By the end of it all, Flora was shaking, her hand over her mouth. Silent tears cascaded down her cheeks. She swallowed and asked in a small voice, "Do _you_ have a picture?"

"Yes!" Twilight paused. "No wait... I emptied out my folder just two days ago. And I don't use social media... I can call him...! Dammit, I can't. He's in class right now and doesn't keep his phone on..."

"But you're not lying to me, right?" Flora asked, almost begging. "He's alive?"

"He's alive," Twilight promised her. "Alive and happy."

Flora burst into tears again. She curled in on herself, clutching her stomach as she sobbed.

 _"I begged the Goddesses to save him,"_ she said in between cries. _"He told me to run and I did... I felt like a coward. He stayed behind to ensure I would be safe..."_

Twilight knelled down in front of her. He gently touched her shoulder, and she looked up at him, her face ruddy and red.

"We could go see him," he offered gently. "Now. Today. Let's fucking go."

Flora gave out a short laugh, quickly gaining control over her tears. She took a moment to use her sleeve to wipe at her face and when she looked at him again, she was smiling widely. "Yes. Let's."

The elevators suddenly dinged. The doors opened, revealing Rhoam and the others.

"Good news!" Rhoam said as he stepped into the room. "Flora, I talked to the Heroes and they agreed to postpone the choosing ceremony until..." He trailed off, seeing Flora's red face. "What happened here?"

Flora ran up to him, throwing herself into his chest, hugging him tightly. "Father, I just got the most amazing news! Wild is alive!"

Both Warriors and Sky snapped their heads towards Twilight, giving him annoyed looks.

"She's his princess," was all Twilight able to say.

"Alive?" Rhoam repeated once Flora pulled away. "That's not possible, you told me yourself you saw him fall in battle."

"I was mistaken."

"Then if he's alive where the hell has he been for the past three years?"

"He lost his memory and now is working as a barista in a college town!"

A long awkward silence followed. Though it was the truth, even Twilight lightly cringed from the way it sounded. Daytime drama shows had nothing compared to crazy shit of their lives.

Rhoam certainly didn't believe it. He shook his head. "Flora... I know how much you miss the boy, but not even you could believe such lies!"

"Father-"

"What proof do you have?" He asked to Twilight. "A photo? A video?"

Twilight held out his hands in a helpless manner. He sighed. "Just my words."

"Then you have nothing," Rhoam hissed. "How dare you. Wild was a good kid. He didn't deserve what happened to him and I won't allow you to sully his memory to manipulate my daughter. I admired you Heroes, but now I see you all have ulterior motives. Please leave my building immediately."

"No!" Flora said. "We have to at least confirm! Hyrule University is only a two hour drive away-"

"It's obviously a ruse-"

"We have to check-"

"You're letting your emotions get the better of you-"

Flora's cheeks burned red in frustration. Her hands were shaking, tears once again prickling the edges of her eyes. She sniffled, lifted her chin in defiance and turned to Sky. "I'm ready to take the sword."

"Oh!" Sky said, jerking to attention. He pulled the sword forward, taking off the silk sheet. "Are you sure you want to do it now? We can wait."

"Yes, I want to confirm."

"Wait a second!" Rhoam said. "Just twenty minutes ago you didn't want to and now you do? Flora, I don't like this. I forbid you to take that sword until we get some solid answers."

Flora reached out.

"I said- NO!"

What happened next was an accident. However a lapse of judgement was not an excuse. The Sword did not reward stupidity or forgotten lessons, not even to those related to Her chosen ones.

Rhoam, in an effort to prevent his daughter from making a mistake, grabbed the hilt with both hands.


	21. Chapter 21

The waiting room of the hospital stunk like piss. Some poor kid earlier had an accident, and while the staff was cleaning it up swiftly, the smell burned Twilight's sensitive nose. He kept his complaints to himself as he sat, waiting for updates on Rhoam.

He kept checking his phone. Wild should've been out of class by now and he still hadn't called Twilight back. Perhaps the kid just forgot to turn his phone back on. Maybe he was at work and wasn't allowed phones.

"Still nothing?" Warriors asked.

"Zilch," Twilight said, putting his cell away. "There's a million and ten perfectly good reasons why he hasn't responded but I can't help but feel something's gone wrong."

"Trust your instincts. You should go. Sky and I can handle this."

"Not yet. I want to see this through."

They waited some more. They watched an entire episode of Spongebob on the lobby television and debated what the secret formula was. Sky and Sun raided a nearby vending machine and the group sat on the floor eating their weight in chocolate and fizzy drinks.

By the time Warriors finished off his fourth candy bar, Flora finally came out from the back areas. Her eyes were red from all the crying she's done today.

"My father will be alright," she said, sniffling. "The doctors had to put him in a medical coma, so he's resting now. But... the damage was quite extensive. They'll need to find a donor for skin and... they don't know how long it'll be before he can hold a pencil again."

"Flora," Sun said. "I'm so sorry this happened, we should've stopped it."

She shook her head. "He's always been like this. Always believing he's right. Question is will he have learned his lesson once he wakes up?" She turned to Twilight. "Despite his bullheadedness, I can't leave him. Not now."

"I understand," said Twilight. "You've waited three years, what's a couple of more hours?"

"I'm assuming you're all going back home, then?"

"I'm staying here," said Sun. She laid a gentle hand on Flora's shoulder. "While we wait for your father to awaken, I can walk you through the duties of a princess."

"I'm staying as well," said Sky. "I'll stand guard."

Warriors groaned. "Looks like I should stay too. Darn it, was looking forward to sleeping in my own bed. I guess I'll go get some actual food and make sleeping arrangements."

Twilight nodded. "Then it's settled. We have our jobs. I'll go get Wild and come back."

"Not yet," said Flora. "I still need to do one more thing."

She turned to Sky. "Give me the sword."

Standing in a lobby hospital wasn't exactly the most prestigious environment for this. They all have been wearing their clothes for nearly twelve hours now. Sky had chocolate stains on his shirt. Warriors was sporting a five o'clock shadow. Twilight desperately wanted to brush his teeth. Though they were exhausted and in desperate need of a nap, the Heroes went down on one knee. Sky held out the sword to Flora.

Flora didn't hesitate. She grasped the hilt and pulled the sword out in a quick smooth motion. There was a brief moment of surprise on her face like she expected to be wrong, then grinned in triumph. She held the sacred blade up high as the Heroes bowed their heads in reverence.

"I think that settles it," she said. She turned to Twilight, holding the sword to him. "Take this and bring me my knight."

"As you wish, princess," said Twilight.

_"Arriving now at... Hyrule University Park."_

At the sound of the train conductor's voice, Twilight blinked out of his light doze. He groaned and rubbed at his eyes. His micro nap was not enough to lessen the exhaustion he was feeling. He hadn't eaten a full meal in hours. Maybe on the way to Wild's place he could grab something from McTingles. He grimaced at that idea, already tasting the thick grease on his tongue. Better than nothing he supposed. Twilight yawned, stood up and walked to the train doors.

An old woman sitting nearby gestured to the Master Sword sheathed across Twilight's back and asked, "Ohh, going on an epic adventure?"

"Just finding an old friend," Twilight said.

"Finding old friends are always epic. You have fun now, you hear?"

"I will, thanks."

He stepped off the train. By the now the workday was slowly winding down. All around him were equally tired men and women in business suits, eager to get home. Only a few of them gave Twilight and the sword a curious glance as they all shuffled through the security gates. Once outside Twilight was greeted with a strong wind blowing his hair back.

The sun was setting, painting the skies with streaks of reds and oranges. For a moment he stood there, not thinking, just quietly enjoying the moment.

It ended when his phone dinged several times. Twilight looked at it, expecting updates on Rhoam. The messages were from Legend.

_L: We have a problem. That gym owner sold us out. He took pictures of us while we were there and sold them to a gossip mag. Pictures of Wind is all over the damn internet now._

"The fuck...?" Twilight hissed. Legend included links to the online articles.

There were dozens of pictures from low angles. It looked like they were taken by hidden cameras all around the space they were using. There were pictures of the Heroes grappling, of them eating, even of Warriors when he took his sweaty shirt off. Each photo had a caption attached to it, naming who each Hero was, followed by an expansive comment section. But worst of all were definitely the photos of Wind. In all of them he was smiling and laughing, having no idea some deviant was spying on him. Instead of protecting his identity like the Heroes had promised, he was now the internet's new gossip topic.

NEW HERO? Said one title underneath Wind's photo. HOW YOUNG DO THEY RECRUIT?

Twilight gritted his teeth. It didn't matter if they sue the gym owner and this website. Now that the photos were out, they were out forever. This was what Time fought to keep from happening, but thanks to a single idiot, Wind was exposed to the world.

There were also pictures of Wild.

The comment section was sickening. They fetishized his scars, joked how they "wanted to see how far down they go." There were a few comments who admitted they knew Wild from the cafe, who saw him talking to the Heroes. They implied maybe all it took to be a Hero was free food. They also included a link to the article of when he was found on the river bank.

LOCAL BARISTA NEW HERO?

A thick dread settled over Twilight. Unlike Wind, who was faraway on an island with Time to protect him, Wild had no such protection. If those who hurt Wild knew he was still alive and vulnerable...

Forgetting food, Twilight shoved his cellphone back in his pocket and took off in a full sprint towards Wild's apartment.


	22. Chapter 22

As an amnesiac with severe physical trauma and no parental help to rely on, Wild lived in the economy side of the college town. He had a small simple apartment in a building with two hundred other tenants. Twilight had only been here once before, just to confirm this was where Wild lived.

The kid didn't know he and the other Heroes tracked down his address after his reveal.

By the time Twilight got to the building, the sun had fully set. The street lamps were on and local children had gone inside for dinner. There was a fence circling the area and Twilight didn't have access codes for the gate. He could wait for someone to let him in, maybe get permission by the landlord. He chose to hop the fence.

Inside the building smelled of laundry detergent and old cigarette smoke. The muffled noise of televisions could be heard through closed apartment doors. Twilight climbed the stairs, looking and listening for any signs of trouble. So far everything looked normal. When he got to the fourth floor, that's when he started hearing all the voices.

"Open up, man! We just wanna talk!"

"Is what they're saying true? Just tell us!"

"How'd you do it? I gave them twenty rupees and they never even call me!"

There were at least a dozen or more people gathered in the hallway, banging on Wild's door. Many of them had their phones out, recording everything. They were taking pictures, slipping notes underneath his door, cupping their hands over their mouths and calling out for him to come out and talk to them.

One of them noticed Twilight. "Hey look, it's a Hero!"

Like a hoard of zombies who found their next meal, all of them turned towards him at once. They rushed over, several phones shoved into his face, demanding answers.

"Is it true what they're saying? Did you make a barista a Hero because he provides free food?"

"Did the new Hero get his scars from training?"

"Why are there no women Heroes? Are you all sexist?"

Twilight stood there, his mouth curved into a deep frown as the phones pressed even closer, one was even poking at his chin. He didn't have time for this bullshit.

He snatched the closest phone out of one guy's hand, held it up for everyone to see, and crushed it like it was gingerbread. He let go, shards of plastic hitting the ground.

The owner squealed. He went down on his knees, trying to salvage the pieces. _"You asshole! That was an eight hundred rupee phone!"_

"Bill me," said Twilight, moving past. The sight of a Hero crushing a phone with a single hand had the rest of the would-be reporters scrambling away, tucking their phones in close protectively.

Twilight pounded on Wild's door. "Kid, it's me! Open up!"

The door opened. A hand reached out, grabbed Twilight by the front of his shirt, and hauled him in.

"Thank the goddess you're here!" Wild said, slamming the door shut. "I've been getting harassed all day over this! My email inbox is insane, I had to turn off my phone because it was ringing non-stop, and I had to leave work through the backdoor! They tried to follow me home!"

Twilight took a good look around Wild's apartment. It was a small, simple thing. _Humble_ someone might say. _Cramped_ others would too. Wild had a television set the size of a cardboard box. A small stack of DVDs from the library were seated next to it, and a well worn purple couch finished off the look. In one corner was a laundry basket half-full. There were no photos on the wall. The kitchen was the only place that held any personality. He had three large cookbooks bookmarked with different colored tags, several comical aprons hanging on a wall hook, and his fridge was covered in magnetic letters spelling out POOP. It appeared Wild lived alone.

"Are you okay?" Twilight asked him. "Did anybody try to hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine. But this is annoying as hell. Can you please tell them I'm not a Hero? I need to get these DVDs back to the library before I get an overdue charge."

Twilight took a breath. "I can't do that."

"What- why not?"

"Because you are a Hero."

There it was, out in the open. After weeks of holding in this secret, keeping an eye out on the kid, Twilight finally said it.

Wild gave him a dull look. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not. You guys told me it was my choice... well, I chose not to be one. So please tell those people out there-"

"You touched the sword."

"Okay? Yeah? So what?"

Twilight unsheathed the Master Sword from his back. The unexpected move had Wild stepping back in surprise, only stopping when the back of his legs bumped into the couch. Twilight held it out towards him, the blade facing up.

"Only those chosen by the Goddess are allowed to wield her," Twilight said. "No other can touch this sword without consequence. On that day back in the gym, you unknowingly held this sword. She did not burn you, for she recognized you for who you are: her master. We kept this secret from you because you did not consent, but that does not matter anymore. What has been done cannot be undone. You are a Hero, Wild, and I am here to take you to your destiny."

Wild gaped at him, his mouth dropping open. This wasn't how Twilight wanted to do this. He wished he could've told the kid under better circumstances, but what was a Hero's life without obtuse drama?

Wild swallowed and said, "You're lying to me."

"I'm not."

"Then you're out of your goddamn mind!" He ducked underneath Twilight's outstretched arm, moving away. "There is no way I'm a Hero! For goddess's sake, I don't even have a _last name!_ I don't know how old I am, I don't know where I came from-"

"I do know," Twilight said, sheathing the sword.

" _Oh fuck you!_ Fuck you! Don't give me that! You just revealed to me you've been lying to me for the past few weeks! How dare you! Did you lie to me about finding nothing in the National Archives? Did you find something but chose to keep it from me?"

"No. I didn't-"

"Fine then! Tell me. What's my last name? How old am I? Where did I come from?"

Twilight frowned. Everything happened so fast back in the city, he didn't really get a chance to ask Flora all the necessary details. He thought it would be better to get Wild to the hospital as soon as possible and handle everything else later.

"Um... well you see... actually..."

"So you have solid, infallible proof I'm a Hero but something simple as my real name is beyond you? Do you even hear how insane that sounds?"

Ooooh... this was not how Twilight envisioned this would turn out. He imagined surprise, certainly, maybe even some tears, but this? He couldn't blame Wild- it _did_ sound insane.

"You know what?" Wild said. "I think I want you to leave. I can't handle your crazy fans and your crazy theories at the same time. Please go."

"Does the name Flora Rhoam sound familiar to you?"

Wild paused. "What?"

"Flora Rhoam," Twilight repeated. "Does it sound familiar to you?"

An unknown expression passed over Wild's face. "Of course it does."

Twilight brightened. "Really?"

"The daughter of one of the richest men in Hyrule? An heiress worth over a billion rupees? One of the creators of the Guardian laptop, a laptop I currently own? Yeah, I'd say she sounds pretty familiar."

Fuck.

"She knows who you are," Twilight said. He was feeling desperate. Why was this going so badly? "She knows you before you lost your memory. You were her bodyguard-"

"Bodyguard?" Wild said. "Who hires a teenager for a bodyguard?"

"No-! You were her childhood friend-!"

"Changing narratives now, are we?"

 _"Will you fucking listen to me?_ I don't know all the details, I only found out about this myself only less than a few hours ago! I know how hard this must sound, it's a lot to take in, but _we found you!_ You have a name! You have a past! You have someone who loves you and wants to see you! And it sucks to find out like this, I know! If I could take it all back, I would. We thought we were doing the right thing! But whether you want to admit it or not, you are a Hero. And Flora? She is your princess. Do you get that? The person who knew who you were before your attack, who can answer every question you have, who mourned you for three years, is your princess. Do you understand that?"

Wild looked away. He stared down at the floor, his hands clenched into fists. There were tears in his eyes as he contemplated this.

Finally after a minute of silence, he looked back up. "She is one of the richest people in Hyrule... someone with endless resources... and she never found me?"

"She thought you were _dead_."

Wild shook his head. A tear slithered down his scarred cheek. "She didn't even try."


	23. Chapter 23

Twilight didn't know what to say to that.

It was a shit situation and he couldn't blame Wild for feeling like that. The kid had three years asking himself why nobody looked for him, coming up with a thousand possible scenarios. Of course it didn't make sense why one of the richest people in Hyrule couldn't find him. But that wasn't a question Twilight could answer for him.

"I don't know what happened," Twilight said. "But Flora knows you're alive now. She wants you to come see her."

"She wants _me_ to come see _her?_ What, were all her gold-plated helicopters unavailable?"

"Her father is in the hospital and she didn't want to leave him. If she could be here she would."

Hearing about Flora's hospitalized father deflated some of Wild's anger. His shoulders slowly loosened as his brows furrowed together. He sighed softly. "Even if I wanted to... I can't leave. I have class in the morning, I have homework to finish-"

"You're a Hero now, you can get an extension."

"I never agreed-!"

"I know! I know. But whether you like it or not you're a Hero. You're only putting off the inevitable."

Wild straightened, the fight coming back into him. "You say it like it's a threat. You don't get to come to my apartment and demand I do anything..."

He trailed off as he came to a realization. He pointed an accusatory finger at Twilight.

"How did you know where my apartment is?" He asked. "I never told you where I lived."

Shit. The situation was already fucked, so there was no point in lying. Twilight steadied himself for what would come next. "When we realized you were a Hero... we looked up your information."

"You _what-?_ " Wild curled his body away from him in disgust. "That is some stalker behavior. You're even worse than those freaks out in the hallway! Get the hell out of my apartment!"

"I'm not leaving," Twilight said.

"Get out or I'm calling the police."

"Your princess gave me a command. She told me to bring you to her. That's exactly what I'm going to do."

He stepped forward. Wild took a step back.

"Put on your shoes," said Twilight. It was not a request. "Grab your jacket, your wallet, whatever else you need. We're going."

Wild took another step back. Unease was slowly settling in. "So if a princess tells you to jump off a bridge, you'll do it?"

_"Yes."_

That startled Wild into silence, though it wasn't the truth. Heroes were not obedient dogs, willing to do any whim of a princess. A Hero had the right to refuse any command if they felt it was foolish, self-seeking, or brought harm upon the princess. It was rare when a princess acted in their own interests, and it was rarer for their Hero to disregard a direct order. Flora's order was not one of selfish desires nor was Twilight willing to wait another day to reunite the Hero to his princess.

Wild gave a glance towards the door, the only way in and out of the apartment. Twilight was standing between him and it.

"Fine," Wild said, holding up his arms in a pacifying manner. "Have it your way."

Twilight relaxed only for a fraction, when suddenly Wild grabbed the nearest thing to him- a lit lamp- and threw it at his head.

Twilight dodged, the lamp arcing over his right shoulder and shattering to the floor behind him. Wild used that small window of distraction to run past him to the door. Twilight swung down, hooking his arm around Wild's torso and hauled him back.

"Stop fighting me!" Twilight hissed as Wild struggled. "I'm not going to hurt you-!"

Wild stopped. He was breathing hard through his nose. "Okay. Okay. I'm calm now."

Twilight hadn't released his hold. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"You're not playing with me?"

"No."

"Okay. I'm letting go now..."

His hold loosened. Wild immediately elbowed him in the gut and ran for the door again. He only managed to get the door opened for a fraction of the way, when Twilight's hand slammed down upon it, forcing it back shut.

There was a wave of concern from the peanut gallery outside. "Hey, are you guys okay in there?"

Twilight loomed over Wild with a dark expression. _"Don't do that again,"_ he said.

Like a rabbit caught in a snare, Wild came to realize there was no escape. His eyes darted around his apartment, looking for an exit, and when none came, he tried to appeal to Twilight's better person. "You're a Hero," he began. "You're not supposed to do things like this. This is kidnapping-"

 _"You think I enjoy this?"_ Twilight snarled. "I would love to do nothing more than **fucking** leave. But we are not allowed to walk away! We don't have that luxury! The few times a Hero ignored his responsibilities, people died. _Heroes_ died. I don't want to do this. I fucking hate that you're being forced into this life, that you never had a choice, but there's nothing I can do to change that. The best I can do is guide you along the way. Teach you. Help you. But whether you agree to this or not, I have my orders and I _will_ follow them. So don't make me do this, kid. Please."

He stepped back.

Wild had his arms up in defense, and it hurt Twilight to see the kid actually thought he would hurt him. As the long silent seconds ticked by, Wild lowered his arms. He thought about it.

In a small, defeated tone, Wild said, "Let me get my shoes."

A few minutes later the door opened and they stepped out. They were blinded by the dozens of phones going off all at once.

Twilight pushed through the crowd, ignoring their questions. From behind Wild followed closely, covering his head with his dark black hoodie.

"Where are you Heroes going?"

"Is this confirmation?"

"Show us your face! C'mon, kid, smile for the camera!"

It didn't matter if Twilight threatened them with legal action, these fools were going to do what they wanted. First he needed to get Wild out of here. He continued to push his way through, forcibly knocking arms and phones out of the way. One hand accidentally brushed the back of their knuckles against the Master Sword, and what followed was a screeching bellow of pain, and the victim knocking several people down in his haste to get away. Unfortunate for that poor fellow, but the surprise paused the flashes of cameras for a moment, giving Twilight a chance to get through the wall of bodies without further molestation.

Twilight and Wild ran down the stairs, out into the parking lot, finally alone.

"Hylia..." Wild breathed, staring back. "What the hell happened back there?"

"That's what happens if you touch this sword and you're not a Hero," Twilight said. He patted the sword lovingly. "Look, I'm tired as all hell. Do you mind if we grab a taxi to the train station?"

"Only if you're paying," Wild said.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: mild body horror

Twilight pressed his face against the cool glass of the taxi cab window, wishing he could nod off right there. Every time his eyes slowly closed, the taxi would hit a bump, startling him back awake. When it happened for the fifth time, he gave up. He was just going have to buy a cup of coffee and deal with it.

Wild was quiet, of course. He stared out the window, watching the world go by. The passing street lights gave an eerily glow to his scars.

"I'm sorry if I scared you back there," said Twilight.

No response.

"Are you hungry? We could grab something on the way there."

No response.

Twilight sighed. "Are you going to ignore me the rest of the way?"

Wild continued to stare out the window.

Twilight supposed he deserved this. Though Wild consented to coming, he did it under duress. He was probably thinking thinking about the homework he was missing. In the beginning Twilight used to have terrible anxiety about all the tests and homework he'd missed, but after a while it stopped bothering him. The professors were not allowed to fail a Hero if they were busy being hero-ing.

Maybe Wild was thinking about how his life will change now. Will he be forced to give up his job? His apartment? Not everyone handled celebrity status easily. Warriors reveled in it, and Swords had been dealing with it for years due to his youtube channel. However Time loathed the attention and has sued quite a number of people for trying to take pictures of his wife.

Or maybe, most likely, Wild was thinking of Flora. Asking himself why was she unable to find him or why now? If Flora had been lying to Twilight about her intentions, the sword would've rejected her outright. Wild has only known about the sword's ability for only a few minutes now, he didn't understand what touching it truly meant.

"Did you want to be a Hero?" Wild suddenly asked.

Twilight startled. He wasn't expecting a question.

"...Sort of. Not really."

"Which means...?"

"Doesn't every kid want to be a Hero?" Twilight said. "Hell, there's Saturday morning cartoons about it. But as I got older... those fantasies die away. They change. Soon I wanted to be an astronaut or a firefighter. The fantasy of becoming a Hero was as real to me as Santa Claus."

"You should become a politician," Wild said, huffing. "You answer questions without really answering them."

"You misunderstand me," Twilight said. "I'm from a small farming community down south. The max population is only about hundred people. We don't have things like tablets or exotic coffee shops. If we wanted to use a computer, we'd have to go to the library. I was a ranch hand first. My dreams and ambitions barely extended beyond getting a new saddle for a horse."

Wild peeled himself away from the window to finally look at him. "So what changed?"

"Have you heard of Zant's Invasion?"

"Uh... a little, yeah. He was an usurper, tried to take over the kingdom."

"This happened a couple years back, before you lost your memory. He didn't attack the main towns first. He tested his strength on little villages on the outskirts of the kingdom. See how far he could get in without detection. My village was one of the first ones who got hit."

Wild's eyes widened. "And you fought back and become a Hero?"

"No," said Twilight. "I fought back and was nearly killed. My village was ravaged, my friends kidnapped, our crops destroyed. I may have been heroic that day, but I did not have the skill or ability to defeat him."

"But obviously you did," said Wild. "You eventually became a Hero and defeated Zant."

The taxi slowed to a stop at a red light. On the radio a song from the Indigo-Go's played and the driver quietly hummed along, oblivious to the drama happening behind him.

"I did." Twilight was not in the mood to go into specifics. He especially did not want to talk about Midna. "You asked if I wanted to be a Hero. The answer? _No._ I didn't. I was content where I was, who I was. I have no ambitions to become famous. But when we were invaded, we needed a Hero. As I laid there, helpless, blood around my head, hearing my friends get dragged away, I prayed to the Goddesses to become one. I didn't do it for fortune or fame. I didn't do it cause I thought it looked cool. I wanted to become one to help people."

He gave Wild a pointed look. "And I know you are the same. You came to my rescue that night without intention of getting something in return."

The light turned green. The taxi began to move forward.

A slight blush tinged on Wild's cheeks. "I asked you to look up information at the National Archives."

"I had to _offer_ first. You're a Hero, kid. I know you're still hesitant but-" Twilight's eyes widened and he screamed. "WATCH OUT!"

A car drove through the red light. The flash of the oncoming car's headlights blinded them. The driver turned the wheel but it was too late and-

All Twilight could hear was a muffled song playing weakly through the radio. He could feel something cascading across his face like water, dripping upwards into his hair. It reeked of copper. As awareness slowly came back to him, so did pain. He gasped out loud as the burning sensation intensified with every breath. His chest and left arm burned in terrible, terrible pain.

He opened his eyes.

The taxi had been flipped over. The windows were shattered inward, spewing glass all over the ceiling. Twilight was hanging upside down, still strapped in by the grace of his seat belt. His arms dangled downwards, the back of his hands resting on top of the broken glass. The Master Sword was partially danging out of its scabbard. Twilight didn't know where he was hurt. It wasn't water that stained his face but blood. His chin had been badly cut, and when he grimaced, he could feel the skin pulling.

"Twilight! Are you okay?"

Twilight achingly turned to see Wild. The kid looked okay, thank the goddess. His long hair was tangling with the glass on the ceiling, and he had a few superficial cuts on his face. Other than that he appeared unhurt. He was currently struggling with his seat belt, trying to get himself loose.

Twilight took a breath. "I'm okay," he said, groaning. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine! I'm fine! But I think the driver is really hurt!"

Twilight could not see the driver from where he was at. Up front the entire windshield had shattered. He could see they were still in the middle of the intersection. The car that had hit them sat only a few feet away, the entire front fender smashed in. Its driver was not in sight either.

Wild finally got himself loose. With one hand already braced on the ceiling, he awkwardly lowered himself down. He reached up to help Twilight.

"I can get myself loose," said Twilight. "Go, help the driver."

"Got it."

As Wild crawled out of the broken passenger side window, Twilight reached to his hip with his left arm to grab at his buckle. He barely moved it when his elbow suddenly screamed out in white hot pain. He gasped and his arm dropped, dangling like useless meat. It was broken.

"Damn..." He muttered. He scrunched his face, breathing through the pain and reached with his right hand, blindingly groping for the buckle. He found the release button and pushed.

He dropped, his left arm curling underneath him, his head smashing to the ceiling.

 _Oh fuck, that hurt._ Twilight laid there, the Master Sword digging into his back. After a couple of deep breaths he pushed himself up. He crawled out of the same window Wild had.

He stood. A wave of dizziness had him nearly falling back down and he leaned against the overturned cab for support. He pulled out of his phone from his back pocket. The screen was smashed in.

"Great," he said, tossing it aside.

He walked over to the front of the taxi just as Wild pulled himself out from the driver side window. Wild said grievously, "The driver isn't responding. We need to call someone."

"Do you have your phone?"

Wild tapped his pockets. "It's not on me."

The sound of cars approaching had them turning. Three vehicles suddenly pulled into the intersection, their high beams on, blinding them. Twilight and Wild held up their hands to the lights as the cars parked and their doors opened. Several men stepped out.

Twilight blinked at one of the men. "Charles...?"

The young man did not look good. His face was gaunt, his cheeks sunken in, his skin like spoiled milk. There were heavy bags underneath his eyes, and he had an old cut on his cheek in the middle of healing.

He wore a red shirt bearing an upside down eye.

Charles turned to his companions, who all wore the same colored shirt, and said, "Remember, don't touch the sword. It will burn you if you do."


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: blood, mild torture, mild body horror

Twilight's dominant arm was broken. At least two of his ribs were badly bruised. His head felt like it was full of cotton and the lack of food was making it difficult to concentrate. He was in no condition to fight.

He had no choice. With his right arm, he pulled the Master Sword from her scabbard. She felt foreign in his right hand.

In response of him pulling the sword, the Yiga members opened their jackets, grabbing handguns from holsters around their torsos. They pointed them down to the ground. The threat was clear enough.

"Put it down, Twilight," said Charles. "We have guns. Not even a mystical sword can stop bullets."

Charles said that with confidence but his fellow Yiga members gave each other uneasy looks. It wasn't well known how powerful the Master Sword was or what it was truly capable of. Twilight and his companions had no problem using that to their full advantage.

"Wild," Twilight whispered. "When I give the signal, you run."

"What?" Wild said. "I'm not leaving you behind!"

"I can't protect us both and you're not trained yet. Run, get help."

"They'll shoot you before I can take a single step."

"I can block bullets."

Maybe. If he was at full strength he could block them but at the moment he struggled to hold the sword straight. If he was quick enough he could cut down at least three of these Yiga bastards before the rest riddled his body with gunfire.

Wild shook his head. "I don't believe you." With that he ran in front of Twilight, throwing up his hands in surrender. "Don't shoot! We'll go peacefully!"

"Wild! Get out of the way!"

"Don't shoot!" Over his shoulder, Wild yelled at him, "Put the sword down!"

Twilight wanted to scream at him, call him an idiot, demand he run. Did he not understand what was happening here? _A kidnapper only takes you to a different location if they have plans to kill you_ _._ Twilight would not let that happen to Wild. No.

"Please," Wild begged him. "Put it down."

Every breath was torturous. Every second longer than the next. Twilight's arm trembled, and then like a deflating balloon, all the fight left him. His arm dropped, the Master Sword clattering to the asphalt.

They forced them to sit in metal chairs, tying their hands behind their backs, securing their wrists to the back legs. Twilight was hunched over, every breath a rattling in his chest. Sweat dripped off his nose. His left arm gave him no relief. It burned constantly like someone held a heated oven coil to it. His head was swimming and his throat was parched.

Wild was bound in the chair next to him. "Twilight, man, talk to me. Are you conscious?"

He had to take a few breaths before speaking. "I'm... still... kicking..."

Wild turned to their guard standing by the door. "Please, he needs water."

Charles had his arms crossed his chest. There was a single naked light bulb in the room, obscuring his face with shadows. "He's a Hero. He can handle it."

"C'mon!" Wild urged. He gestured with a jerk of his chin towards the table in the middle of the room. "There's bottles right there! Look... he's unarmed. He's not going to hurt anyone. What harm could this bring?"

That little nugget of wisdom seemed to get through. Charles frowned, then he stepped forward, grabbing a bottle of _Lake Hylia Water_ and twisting off the cap. He came over to Twilight, pressing the opening to his lips.

Twilight drank. Water dribbled down his bloody chin, wetting his collar. He didn't stop till the bottle was a third empty. "Thank... you," he said once he was done.

Charles grunted and placed the bottle back down. "You don't need to be polite. I know exactly what you must think of me."

"And what... do I... think... of you?"

"Don't patronize me," Charles hissed at him. _"What a failure. What an idiot. The man couldn't become a Hero so he becomes the villain, how original."_

"I wasn't... thinking... that."

"Please. It's not like I wanted this to fucking happen. I had plans, you know. But once I came home with a burnt hand and a police warrant on my head, I had no where else to go. The Yiga were the only ones who understood what happened to me, what bullshit it is that I, a grown adult, was turned down but you allowed a _fourteen year old_ kid to join."

"Are you kidding me?" Wild said. "You got rejected, so you decide your next step was to join the _mafia?"_

"You shut the hell up before I make you shut up."

"You killed that cab driver!"

Charles flinched. He took a step back, and he stared down at the floor, unable to deny it.

"Did you even call an ambulance before you hauled us away?" Wild demanded. "You stand there, moaning and whining about how unfair the Heroes were to you-"

"Shut up."

"-but let's face it, if this is how you react when life doesn't go your way-"

"Shut. Up."

"-it's no damn wonder the sword deemed you unworthy!"

"SHUT UP!"

Charles slammed his heavily scarred fist across Wild's face, knocking him and the chair to the floor.

"Stop!" Twilight protested. He jerked forward, and his body was quick to remind he still had several broken bones. He gasped and curled in on himself, trembling.

On the floor, Wild spat out blood. He groaned. "Beating up a teenager. Great."

"If you don't stop talking I swear I'll-"

A new voice entered the conversation. "Stop. That's enough, Charles. Step back."

Like a dog following the command of his master, Charles immediately moved away. He left Wild on the floor as is.

"I apologize for Charles," said the new person. "But passion is a quality I find rather enduring. I'm sure you Heroes understand."

"Who..." Twilight said. "Are... you...?"

The man stepped into the light. He grinned widely, showing off teeth. "My name is Kohga."


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Torture, mild body horror, ableist talk, mention of bile, non-consensual touching

"Charles, pick that Hero up off the floor. It's dirty."

Charles came around and grasped the side of Wild's chair, hauling him back up. Wild's left check was burning red, the indentations of Charles knuckles still printed on his skin.

Kohga. Twilight has heard of this man.

He used to be a Captain in the Hyrulian army. Him and his platoon were on the front line during Zant's invasion and did a fantastic job holding their forces off. However according to Warriors, when Kohga was given a direct command to retreat, he rebelled and continued pushing. This resulted his entire platoon getting slaughtered. Kohga was court-martial, dishonorably discharged, and disappeared soon after.

Kohga was dressed in a red suit with a black satin tie. The symbol of the Yiga was embroidered on his tie and on the handkerchief that stuck out from his breast pocket. He wore black satin gloves, which he adjusted needlessly. He looked like a Bond villain.

"It's an honor to meet the two of you finally," Kohga said. He grasped a chair and dragged it close to them. He sat down. "I've never met a Hero before, let alone two on a single night. And not just any Hero... the one who 'died' protecting Flora Rhoam... and the great and incredible Twilight. The Hero who defeated Zant."

Suddenly without prompt, Kohga struck out, slamming his leg right into Twilight's broken arm.

Twilight didn't hear himself scream. His eyesight went black but he didn't fall unconscious. He was still aware of the searing hot agony of his ruined arm, still aware of how the zipties dug into his flesh, the smell of dust in this filthy room. He choked, his screaming pulling on his bruised ribs. Through the grief of it all he could feel bile rising up. He clamped his mouth down, fighting hard not to be sick.

As his sight slowly returned, the first thing he noticed was not Kohga, but Charles. He stood in the corner, his skin pale, his face stricken. The man looked horrified. What did he expect? For the Yiga to treat Heroes like welcomed guests? Surely he knew this would happen. Surely he knew he would have to watch someone die. Twilight swallowed down the sickness in his mouth. He maintained eye contact until Kohga pulled his attention away.

"I can't believe I was out-shined by this young punk," Kohga said with his lip curling in disgust. "The only reason they told me to retreat was because of _you._ Oh, a Hero is here now. He'll save everyone! And did you know what I did? I asked _why_. I was an experienced soldier. I've had dozens of successful missions, completed hundreds of hours of military intelligence, and was even invited to the castle by the King himself! Why should I back off and let some _teenager_ take lead? All because you were born _special."_

He kicked him again.

"Stop!" Wild yelled as Twilight shook in his chair. "Leave him alone, you bastard!"

Kohga turned to him. He smiled.

"Oh wow... look at you... it's been a while since I last seen you, boy. Those are some impressive burn marks. Do they hurt?"

He leaned in close, one arm stretching out, his hand moving up towards Wild's face.

Wild flinched away.

Kohga paused, then slapped his hand against the scars, grabbing and pulling at them like he was an overzealous grandmother. Wild tried to bite at his hand but he pulled his arm back just in time. He chuckled.

"I want you to know..." He said. "I never actually ordered my men to kill you. I only wanted the girl. I told them to do whatever was necessary... and I guess they got overzealous. For that I do apologize. I've no interest in killing kids."

"So it is true?" Wild said. "The police said it was the Yiga who did this to me. They weren't sure. They never found any proof. Why? Because of Flora Roham? Because you wanted money?"

"Oh no! Not because of money!" He snorted. "Because of a _shitload_ of money! Do you know how rich that girl is? Don't give me that look, I had no plans to hurt her. It was just a shame you got in the way."

_"I lost everything because of you!"_

"But hey, look on the upside. You're a Hero now, huh? Got your picture in the papers and everything."

He turned and addressed Charles behind him. "Not like us, huh? It doesn't matter how much we work, how much we study, if we're not Heroes, our accomplishments are trash, right?"

"Right..." Charles murmured.

"Hey, hey, I got a great idea! Bring the sword here. I want them to see it."

Once Charles left the room, Kohga pulled out his cell phone from his pocket. He pointed it at Wild. "Say cheese..."

The flash went off.

"You blinked," Kohga complained, staring down at the photo. "Doesn't matter, it'll do..."

"For what?" Wild said.

"Ransom. If I can't get the girl, I'll just use you. I'm sure Rhoam will pay a pretty price to get his little girl's best friend back. And... send!"

He didn't know Rhoam was currently unconscious in a hospital. He didn't know Flora was with her father or that two Heroes were guarding them. Hopefully Flora will see the message and relay it to the others. That was assuming Rhoam's cellphone wasn't left behind in his office.

Charles came back. In his arms he carried the sword wrapped in a worn _Ninja Turtles_ blanket. He gently set it down upon Kohga's lap and pulled the blanket back.

"Such beauty..." Kohga said, running his gloved hand over the blade. Twilight felt a surge of disgust at the sight. "What makes a Hero? Is it really just destiny? A random draw? Or do you have to be a blonde hair, blue eyed boy? Hmmm... well actually, your hair is more of a chestnut color. Either way... it's quite stupid how easy it is to prevent my hand burning. All I need is a simple pair of gloves. I bet even kitchen mitts can allow me to hold the sword."

Twilight shook his head. "You will... never be able... to use... her full power..."

" _Her?_ How sexist. I thought you Heroes were above that." He stood, grasped the hilt with both hands pulled back the blade like he was a baseball player, ready to hit a home run. "Any last words before I take off your head?"

"No!" Wild said.

"Wait!" Charles said. "Sir, wait! Don't kill him."

"Why not? All we need is the cripple."

"Uh... you see... um... d... divine wrath," Charles said. He nodded as he spoke. "I don't know what will happen if you kill a Hero... especially with the sacred sword. Who knows what you'll bring upon yourself if you go through with it."

"But I want to kill him."

"Sir-"

"Oh, I see what this is about. _You_ want to kill him."

"I..."

"Of course you do! He is the one who fucked you over. Silly boy, you should've told me. I'm not a selfish man. Beside, I already got my licks in. Here." He held out the sword for Charles to take. "Just use the blanket to cover your hands."

Charles stared miserably at the sword. He made no effort to get the blanket from the ground. "Sir... I don't think-"

"Then don't!" Kohga snapped at him. "Thinking is what got your hand burned! Do you believe these Heroes care about you? Look how easily they threw you aside when they realized you weren't one of them! Now you're forever branded like an animal, a scar advertising your failure! Divine wrath? There's no such thing! Our fates are decided by us, not some damn magic stick! Now take the sword and show these so-called Heroes what true destiny is about."

"Charles..." Twilight started. His head lolled to one side, his voice barely above a whisper. "Do you know... what made us... decide on you..?"

Kohga rolled his eyes. "Doesn't matter, he still got burned."

Twilight struggled to get the next words out. The sound of his throat was a mess, rough from bellowing out his lungs. "You said... you wanted to... help... the helpless..."

"I did," admitted Charles.

"So please..." Said Twilight. Tears dribbled down his bruised, tired face. _"Help me."_

Charles straightened his back. His fists curled at his side.

"What kind of attempt is that?" Kohga said. "Help me? How pathetic that a Hero must-"

He didn't see Charles move. There was a loud CRACK and Kohga's head snapped from the force of Charles' punch. His hold on the Master Sword loosened, the sacred blade clattering to the floor. Kohga was unconscious before he even hit the ground.


	27. Chapter 27

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Charles repeated this over and over as he pulled out a knife from his back pocket to cut the zip ties.

"I never wanted this," he said. "I didn't want to hurt anyone. I never meant for it to go this far."

He cut Twilight's binds. It should've been relief, but the moment his arms swung free and blood circulated back in, a fresh wave of pain followed as well. He slumped forward, his head swimming. _Goddess._ He was going to vomit, he was going to vomit, he was going to vomit.

A hand pressed against his forehead. Twilight blinked and saw Wild kneeling in front of him. He didn't even notice when Charles cut Wild's bonds. "Hey, hey, you okay? Please talk to me."

He struggled to keep his stomach down. He promised his belly it could empty itself later, just please keep calm till then. "I'm... awake..." He said. "I may... need some... help... standing..."

"I can help him up," said Charles.

Wild smacked his helping hands away. "You stay the fuck away from him! You're the reason we're in this mess!"

"I know. I'm trying to help now."

"How about you take your help and shove it up your-!"

"Wild...!" Twilight snapped. _"Not... now..."_

Wild gritted his teeth but he let it go. Instead he grasped Twilight's good arm and placed it over his shoulder.

"Let me help him," Charles said again.

"I can carry him-!"

"I can't hold the sword. You can."

There was tired acceptance in his voice when he said that. Wild looked up at him, and the two shared something between them. Charles knew he was not a Hero. He was never going to be a Hero. It didn't matter if he died doing the right thing, it was not his destiny to hold that sword. He understood that.

Wild was still clearly fighting it. Even now, this was not a responsibility he wanted.

"Charles..." Twilight said. "Give me... the sword."

Wild blanched. "You can't carry it in your condition!"

Using the Ninja Turtles blanket, Charles gently lifted the sword up and brought it over. He laid it down upon Twilight's lap. Twilight laid his good hand on the hilt, his hand trembling as he went to grip it.

"Stop," Wild said. "You can't hold it. Let... let me, okay? I can hold it."

He grasped the hilt, tried to tug it away. Twilight held firm. Wild pulled harder, lifting the sword up.

"This sword..." Twilight began. "Is not... a weapon..."

"What?" Wild said. "What are you talking about?"

Twilight's chest rose and fell heavily. He had to make Wild understand otherwise they will never leave this place alive. "It's not... a weapon," he repeated. "It's... not a gift... it's a... burden."

"Twi, man, please, we don't have time for this-"

"If you... want this... _fucking_ sword... you have to... be willing... to carry... that burden. Otherwise... you will... crumble under... its weight."

For a moment, Wild's hand loosened on the hilt. He stared at Twilight, stared at the bruises on his face. The blood on his jaw. The sweat pouring down his forehead. Wild's gaze traveled down to Twilight's broken arm. It hanged uselessly, and thanks to Kohga's kicks, it had swelled to twice its size, turning it into a fat, bloody sausage.

Wild then looked to his own left hand. The burn scars overlapped each other, making his skin look reptilian. Wild once told Twilight he had to put lotion on the burns every morning otherwise they dried out. On hot, humid days they ached and itched terribly. During his first year of recovery, Wild would waken in the middle of the night, gasping in pain, the nurses having to hold his right hand down to prevent him from trying to scratch the healing skin off.

"I'm tired... of feeling like a victim," Wild said. He raised his eyes back to Twilight, his grip tightening back on the hilt. "I'm tired of being afraid of the unknown. If taking this sword means I _never_ get to feel like that again, if I can prevent anyone else feeling like that... then yes, I want this _fucking_ sword."

Twilight asked him, "Do you... promise to... protect Hyrule?"

"Yes."

"To protect... your princess?"

"Yes."

"In the... name of... her Goddess?"

"Yes!"

Twilight released his hold. Wild stepped away. He brought the sword to his chest.

"I swear it," he said.


	28. Chapter 28

Wild thought about killing Kohga.

He could do it so easily too. The man was unconscious. He was unarmed. Nobody in the world would blame Wild if he took the sword, press the tip against Kohga's back and let it sink in. Twilight did say the royal family would most likely wipe away any charges against him. Wild would probably be rewarded for ridding the world of such scum. How many other lives did Kohga ruin? How many were dead because of him?

Wild took a step towards Kohga, his hold on the sword tightening. It would be quick and painless. A much better end than this bastard deserved.

A hand grasped Wild's wrist. He stopped and turned to see Twilight reaching out to him. The grip was weak and after a moment, Twilight's fingers fell away.

"We... need... to... go..." He said.

Wild looked back at Kohga. It would take only a second. Take two steps forward, shove the sword in, step back. It would be so easy, so fast.

Charles bent down to help Twilight stand. He slung Twilight's arm over his shoulder, placed a careful hand on his torso. He whispered, "On three, okay? One, two, _three-!_ " He stood, pulling Twilight up onto his feet.

Twilight cried out. His knees buckled underneath him, nearly toppling them both over. Wild gasped at the sight and rushed over to help them.

"I got him, I got him..." said Charles, re-positioning Twilight to hold him better. Twilight was like a newly born foal, still learning how to stand. It took him a couple of tries to find his balance, leaning on Charles heavily. "Um... in my pocket is my cell phone. You can use it to call your Hero friends."

Wild retrieved his phone. He unlocked it and asked Twilight, "What are the Heroes' phone numbers? Twi? Hey."

Twilight was not in a good position. Sweat poured down his face. His eyes struggled to stay open. Wild pressed the back of his hand against Twilight's forehead and grimaced when he found it burning hot. "Geeze, Twi... I know you're hurting right now, but can you tell me one of the Hero's numbers? Twi...?"

 _"Four..."_ Twilight said slowly. _"Six... six... no... that's... wrong... four... four... uh..."_

Wild smiled sadly. "It's okay," he said. He dialed in for emergency services instead. "I got this."

With Charles' help they confirmed their position to the person on the other line. A call would be sent to the closest Hero and hopefully they would be there soon. Wild gave Charles back his phone and walked over to the door. "Right. What happens once we're outside?"

"Once you open that door, we're going left," said Charles. "There's a couple of turns, then we can get to a flight of stairs. We can follow that to the outside. We may have to hide. The parking lot is well lit and a lot of guys hang out there to smoke. If there's no one, we can get to the fence, climb over and go."

"Right," Wild said. He took a breath. Good god, was he really going to do this? His heart was pounding in his chest. Up until a few hours ago he was just a college student. His biggest worries was homework and whether or not the newbies at the coffee shop cleaned his machines correctly. Now he's neck deep in enemy territory, holding a sword of destiny, and any wrong move could lead to horrible, violent death. "Right..."

He opened the door slowly. He peered out. No one on the left. No one on the right. He opened the door wider, gesturing Charles to go.

Charles half-carried, half-dragged Twilight out into the hallway. Wild moved to follow.

He paused. Looked back. He stared at Kohga's form on the floor for a long second, then stepped out, closing the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a lot more to the chapter, but since so much stuff happens in the next one, it was better for me to cut it into two parts.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: vomit, blood, gun violence, mild body horror

It was an agonizingly slow progress to walk through this place. Charles kept stopping, paranoid by every sound that came their way. There were footsteps on the floor above them and shouts below them. Through the drywall the faint noise of a football game on a television set could be heard. It didn't help that the hallways were not designed for a person to carry a sword. Wild kept scrapping the tip of the blade against the sides, taking off paint every time he did it.

"Will you stop that?" Charles hissed at him.

"Sorry, I've only held it once before today!"

" _Once...?_ Goddess, I thought you were trained!"

"Did you miss all that proofing back in the room? I only found out I was a Hero a few hours ago!"

"What...?" His face tightened. "You... but the photos-"

"Were taken without my knowledge or consent. I was just hanging out as a friend."

"You held the sword in those photos!"

"I didn't know what that meant until now!"

"STOP!" Twilight bit out. "Shut up... idiots!"

Wild and Charles hunched in guilt. "Sorry," they both said.

They continued on in silence.

Wild kept readjusting the sword in his hand, the lack of weight bothering him. It was too light. Something of this size shouldn't feel like _air_ , so free and easy to move. He could hold this sword all day if he had to. Wild didn't feel any different. He didn't feel stronger or faster or more sure of himself. Wasn't he supposed to change, like a magical anime girl or something?

Goddess, what was he going to do if he did come across a Yiga member? There wasn't enough room here to swing the sword. He knew he had latent fighting abilities but Wild had no idea how to trigger it. How was he going to protect everyone here if he didn't know how to use this damn sword? Was there an _ON_ switch or something?

They only gone a few more feet suddenly yelling started echoing through the halls.

_"Master Kohga has been attacked!"_

_"The Heroes are gone!"_

_"Spread out and find them!"_

"Shit!" Charles said. "We need to hide!"

There were like a million doors to choose from. "Hide where?" Wild demanded.

Charles pointed. Wild shoved the door open, briefly looked inside, then gestured to Charles to get in. Wild got in himself just in the nick of time, closing the door right before a dozen or so people rounded the corner, stomping by.

They were in a broom closet. Wild had the Master Sword pressed against his chest, his back against Charles' side, and poor Twilight was half-smushed against the wall next to him. He didn't seem to mind.

When no other noise came, Charles whispered, "Do you know even how to use that thing?"

"No..." Said Wild.

"Great."

Twilight groaned. "You... need... to... believe... in..."

"What?"

Their only light source came from outside, through the cracks in the door. Twilight's face could barely be seen, the single thread of light shining across his face like a slash. "Believe... in... her... and she... will believe... in... you."

"What the heck are you talking about? Who is _she?_ The sword?"

"Yes..."

"Are you kidding me? What other helpful advice do you have for me? Believe in the heart of the cards? _Swing away?"_

Charles spoke up. "According to the books, you have to be spiritually connected with the sword."

"How do I do _that?"_

"Mediation. Bonding. That takes time."

"Time we don't have," Wild muttered.

Another round of footsteps thundering past had them ceasing their conversation. They waited till the sounds disappeared into the distance before Wild pushed opened the door and they stepped out.

"Let's just get out of here," said Wild.

They went slow. Every muscle in Wild's body was tensed, ready to take flight at the slightest provocation. Was he breathing too loudly? Was he stepping too hard? He kept jumping, seeing things out of the corner of his eye, only to realize it was just his fucking hair.

"We're almost at the exit," Charles whispered.

He gestured with a nod of his head towards a door fifty feet away. Wild gasped at the sight, relief washing over him. Were they really almost done here? Were they really about to escape. Wild picked up the pace.

Twilight suddenly cried out. He lurched forward, his legs buckling underneath him, and began to vomit.

"Goddess!" Charles yelled. He struggled to hold him up and avoid the mess at the same time. Twilight wasn't helping. He was almost fighting against him, his attempts to breath overriding everything else. He ripped his arm away from Charles' sweaty grip and fell to the floor. He gagged.

The noise caught the attention of everyone nearby. Footsteps ran towards them.

"Go! Go!" Wild said, dropping all sense of calm. He ran forward, leaped and kicked the door latch. The door swung opened violently, cracking against the back wall. Wild held it open, gesturing for Charles and Twilight to _move their ass._

"Fuck!" Charles hissed, picking the sickly Twilight back up. Twilight looked like he was barely conscious. His head rolled side to side as Charles adjusted him, his eyes fluttering. "Damn! Damn!"

Once outside they had to climb down a set of fire escape stairs. Down, down, down they went, uncaring how loud they were as their feet clanged with every stride. The Master Sword squealed against the metal, setting Wild's teeth on edge. He didn't see the last step and tripped, crashing to the asphalt. He skinned his hands, his knees underneath his jeans. He could feel little pebbles sticking to his bloody skin as he pushed himself back up.

"My car's over there!" Charles said. He stepped off the escape stairs perfectly fine. Though he was moving significantly slower now, almost limping. The three crossed the parking lot, huffing and groaning loudly. "It's over there!"

Before Charles could finish his sentence, a loud BANG rang out, startling Wild. He turned just in time to see Charles toppling over. He and Twilight crashed to the ground in a tangle of limbs and equal bellowing cries of pain. Charles was clutching his hip, blood seeping out from underneath his fingers.

 _"I've been shot!"_ He howled. _"Oh god!"_

Twilight was still breathing but he laid where he fell, clutching his midsection, tears running down his face.

Goddamn Kohga walked into view. He had a rag pressed against his temple, blood staining it. Wild was pleased to see the entire left side of Kohga's face was bruised to all hell thanks to Charles' punch. Accompanying him were ten men, all carrying guns, pointing straight at Wild and the others.

"Kid, step away from the fodder," Kohga demanded.

Wild gulped and shakily raised the sword.

Kohga groaned at the sight. "I am not in the mood for this. You're the only one I need. Look, I promise you'll be treated well, yeah? And once I get what I need, you'll be let go. No problem."

 _Yes,_ said Wild's entire being. _Don't be a fool. You want to live, don't you?_

Wild said he didn't want to be a victim anymore but that was easier said than done. He didn't want to die. The thought of waking up again with no knowledge of who he was scared him beyond belief. He's worked so hard for the past three years to get where he was now. How could anyone see him as a Hero when he was trembling so much? He was sure the Yiga members could all see it- the way his arms could barely hold the sword steady, how his knees were knocking together. Tears started coming down his burning cheeks.

"Aw... kid..." Kohga said almost sweetly. "You've been through so much. Come. Drop the sword and walk towards me. There's no need to put on a brave face here."

"What... what about my friends?"

Kohga's eye twiched. "They'll... be fine. I promise."

Hearing that was the harsh _slap_ to the face Wild needed. He shuddered, hating how he almost gave everything up. Wild sniffled and gripped the sword tighter. "You damn liar."

"I tried." Kohga pulled the bloody rag away from his face and dropped it to the ground. "Last chance. Come over here. It'll be easier to get the ransom with you alive but I'm sure your girl will pay for a body either way."

"Eat me."

There was another twitch. "Stupid kid," he said. Kohga raised his arm.

 _I don't know what I believe,_ Wild thought as he pulled back the sword.

"Kill them all!"

_But if you believe in me, then that should be enough._

The guns fired.

For an instant, the world stopped. Wild didn't blink, he didn't breath, he didn't think. He was still _aware_ despite everything. He could feel the sword in his hand, the blood on his chin, the sweat on his brow. In front of him the each gun had a flash of light, slowly spreading out like a stain soaking through a sheet. From each light followed a bullet, smooth and spinning slowly. How Wild could see this, he was given no time to ponder. Like the bullets, he was still moving, only barely. It felt like he was fighting through a pool of molasses. His limbs felt heavy, chained by iron. As the bullets drew ever closer, Wild gritted his teeth and pulled with all his might.

Something _snapped_. Wild's arm swung freely, the sword cutting through air with a high pitch whistle. The blade struck each bullet in quick succession, cutting them in half. TING-TING-TING-TING-TING-TING-TING-TING-TING-TING

The halved pieces dropped to the ground. Just as quickly as it came, the heaviness of the world left, swirling up and away. Wild gasped, the thick burning in his chest had gulping down air like a drowned man.

He looked up at Kohga and his men. All of them wore the same expression of shock and terror.

One spoke. "Did he just...?"

"How is that possible?" Said another.

From the ground, Twilight gave out a pained laugh. "You... did... it! Good... job!"

Kohga adam's apple bounced on his neck wildly as he struggled to speak. "It... it does not matter! Shoot him again! Empty your clips! He can't... block all of them!"

Wild pointed the sword at him. Fear continued to grip his heart yet his arm was steady. "Try it and see what happens."

"Do it!" Kohga commanded. When nobody moved, he reached over and snatched one of the guns out of his minion's limp grip and pointed it at Wild. "You little punk! I'm going to kill you!"

Before Wild could pull back the sword and do that _thing_ again, three arrows suddenly shot out of nowhere, hitting Kohga with terrifying force. One hit him in the shoulder, another in his right arm, the last in his foot, going right through his fancy black shoe. He cried out, dropping the gun.

Several more arrows flew, striking each Yiga member. There was a nano-second of surprise, followed by a chorus of pained screams and yells. Everyone dropped their weapons in favor to clutching their wounds.

A voice echoed across the parking lot.

_"You called for a Hero? Well here I am, at your service!"_

Wild turned around, relief pouring into him at full blast. He wasn't sure he could block another round of bullets again. Who came to his rescue? Was the Hero the big scary man with the one eye? Was it one of the other Heroes Wild met during the training session so many weeks ago? Or was it one of Twilight's close companions, Warriors and Sky?

It wasn't any of them.

 _"Linkle!"_ Twilight gasped. _"About... damn... time!"_

"Sorry!" Linkle said. She walked across the parking lot, locking her crossbows against her legs to free her hands. Her long twin ponytails bounced from side to side. "I got a bit lost! I'm here now. Wow, you look like hell, Twi. What happened?"

Twilight groaned.

"No worries, we can get into that later. I can see I have a job to do. Now... excuse me, I will be borrowing this."

She came up to Wild and took the Master Sword from his hands. She gave him a look over. "New Hero, huh? It's a scary moment, I understand. Don't worry now, I'm here. Go and help the other two. Ambulances are on their way."

She turned to Kohga and his men. She grinned at their shocked faces.

"I can handle this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys are all safe wherever you are


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: ableist slur

The Yiga who could still move scattered. Some ran back inside the building, others ran for the fence, and a couple went for their cars, digging their keys out from their pockets.

"Linkle!" Twilight said. "Take... them... out!"

Linkle twirled the sword dramatically. "Gladly."

She took off at an impressive speed, kicking up a sudden gust of wind, blowing Wild's hair back. Linkle crossed the parking lot within seconds, easily catching up to the escaping Yiga. Some turned to fight only for her to move behind them, slamming the butt of the hilt into the back of their heads. Down they went, crumpling to the ground unconscious.

She turned her attention to those trying to get to their cars. One member managed to open the driver side door despite his shoulder injury and tried to get in. Linkle rushed forward and slashed through the entire engine of the car. There was no resistance, no squeal of metal upon metal. The sword cut through the car as easily as a hot knife through butter. The Yiga behind the wheel gaped at the sight and threw his hands up in surrender.

Linkle didn't stop there. She proceeded to cut through every parked car, twirling the sword as she went, halving entire cars down the middle or sweeping through the front, dissecting it into thin pieces. She was so caught up in the moment, she didn't even stop when Charles yelled out, "No, that's my car!"

Charles' car, a decently new Master Cycle, was suddenly turned into a convertible. Charles cried at the sight.

Once done Linkle placed a hand on her hip and looked around appreciatively at the carnage she's bestowed here.

She nodded then walked over to Twilight, bending down to him and handing the sword over.

Twi shook his head. "No... him..." He gestured weakly to Charles. "He's... been... shot."

"Right." She moved over to Charles. "Here. Grab hold of the hilt."

Charles obviously didn't. "No... I'll get burned."

"As long as I hold it, you will not get harmed. This will help with the wound."

First Charles hesitated, almost curling away from the sword. He pulled one hand away from his bullet wound and shakily reached up. Wild only manage to caught the glimpse of a horrid burn scar on Charles' blood-splattered palm as he clasped the hilt. Charles gasped.

The broken, twisted bullet from his hip slowly emerged, pushed out by an unseen force. The bullet fell to the ground with a small _tak!_

Wild gaped at the sight. "The _Master Sword can heal wounds?"_ He asked. Holy shit, if it could do that then why didn't they just hide away and waited till Twilight was healed enough?

Linkle looked over to Wild. "Hero Lesson number one kid," she said. "The Master Sword is first and foremost, a weapon. She is designed to fight. Healing is a secondary function and it doesn't work as fast as you'd like. _She cannot prevent you from dying,_ so don't think you can rush into battle screaming _Leeroy Jenkins_ and think you're going to come out unscathed. My brother did that once and nearly got himself killed. Got it?"

So much for the 'hunker down and wait it out' theory. "Got it," said Wild.

Linkle's long pointed ears twitched and she suddenly stood up, wrenching the sword away from Charles. She twirled and just as several bangs ranged out, she raised the sword, slicing those bullets in half.

The Yiga on the third floor pulled back from the windows. They exclaimed, "Shit, she blocked them!"

"Guess I have to sweep the whole building," said Linkle. She bent her knees. "I'll be right back, guys."

She jumped, shooting upwards, and crashed through the same window the Yiga were shooting out from before. Bellowing screams followed.

Wild stared in disbelief. "Are all you Heroes that extra?"

"Wouldn't... have it... any... other... way..." Twilight laughed painfully.

Wild watched the window where Linkle disappeared into, hearing the carnage from within. His gaze turned downwards, to Kohga.

The man had a look on his face Wild could not describe. This was a look of a broken man, a man whose entire world view was shattered within an instant. He saw with his own eyes exactly what a Hero was capable of and understood why Twilight was the only one who could take down Zant. There Kohga stood, bleeding from different wounds, his own men incapacitated all around him, unable to move or say anything.

Wild and Kohga locked eyes. Kohga broke contact first.

In the air the wail of emergencies services drew closer. Their red and blue flashing lights could be spotted from beyond the trees.

"Is it over?" Wild asked to himself. His body felt weightless, ready to be swept away by the sea. By now everything was catching up to him. The stress, the revelations, the lack of sleep and food. Now that he knew he out of harm's way, his body turned off the adrenaline. He didn't seem to notice he was swaying. "Is it finally over..."

He wouldn't remember the ground coming up to meet him.

When Wild opened his eyes, he was laid out on a bed, the familiar noise of the heart monitor beeping in the background. There was an IV in his left arm, and the covers of the hospital sheets were pulled up to his chest. There was a curtain surrounding his bed, obscuring his view to the rest of the hospital room.

His eyes welled up with tears as panic started to settle in. Why was he here? What happened? The last thing he remembered was the female Hero and her taking the Master Sword. But what happened after that? Wild tried to think back and all that came to him was never ending blackness.

To his side the heart monitor started picking up speed. _Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-_

Suddenly it felt like the curtains drew closer, giving him the sensation he was encased in a _tomb_. Oh goddess, what if everything he did with the Heroes wasn't real? What if this entire journey had been nothing but an elaborate hallucination and he was still in this god forsaken hospital, still recovering from his injuries? He never left, did he? He never got into university, he never got a job, never became a Hero. It made sense. There was no way a nameless _cripple_ like him could ever become a Hero. Nobody was here for him. Nobody ever came for him.

Wild screwed his eyes closed as a terrified sob erupted out of his mouth. "No..." He said. "No, no, no, no, no..."

He didn't register the sound of the curtains being pulled back. A warm hand pressed against his cheek. "Shhh..." said a soft voice. "You're safe now."

Was he? This was probably another hallucination. He kept his eyes closed. Like a child pulling the sheets over their head to keep out the monsters, if he didn't look, he couldn't be disappointed. "I... I..."

"Listen to my voice. You're safe. You're with friends. No one will ever hurt you again. I won't allow it."

He sniffled. "Promise?"

"Of course."

_Beep... beep... beep... beep..._

"Go back to sleep," said the soft voice. "When you wake up, I'll be here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter due to the next one being too much to handle on its own


	31. Chapter 31

The first thing Wild saw when he woke up again was Twilight.

Twilight was on the bed adjacent to him. He was asleep, his chest slowly rising and falling, his steady heart monitor showing he was having hopefully pleasant dreams. He had a breathing apparatus over his nose, an IV in his right arm, and settled over his chest was the Master Sword. He was shirtless, his torso an ugly sea of purple bruises. Taking a longer look, Wild could swear he could see the bruises slowly melting away

Twilight's left arm was set in a cast. Someone had already decorated it with several badly-drawn penises.

Speaking of, Wild realized he had to pee. Badly. He quickly checked- no catheter- and sat up in bed, groaning lightly as the small movement nearly had him lose control. It was a simple matter of pulling out the IV. After all those months in the hospital he's had plenty of practice. His saline bag was nearly empty anyways. He reached over and turned off his heart monitor.

_Three, two, one..._

A nurse came rushing into the room. "Goodness!" She said, seeing a perfectly alive Wild. "I was ready to call for a crash cart."

"I'm fine," said Wild. He swung his legs over the edge. "Just getting up to use the toilet."

She came closer to help. "Do you need me to lean on?"

He's been escorted to the toilet a thousands times to feel embarrassed by this point. "Sure."

From behind he heard a strange noise, like a mouse sneezing. He turned around to look.

Flora Roham was curled up asleep in a chair.

She... did not look like Wild expected. In all of the magazine covers she's been on, she's always posed and collected, wearing the fanciest clothes money could buy. The girl sitting here was wearing a wrinkled hoodie, had no makeup on, and her short blonde hair was a mess. She also wore thick round glasses. Wild didn't even know she wore glasses. They sat low on her nose, threatening to slip off.

Wild gaped at the sight. "How long has she been sitting there?" He whispered to the nurse

"Um... since you've nearly been here," she said.

Flora Roham. The heiress to the Guardian Company. This... was _his_ princess, right? The person blessed by the Goddess Herself to act as the other half to the Hero? Wild thought back to what Twilight had said. _"You have someone who loves you and wants to see you!"_

Right now he couldn't concentrate on that. His bladder was giving him a five second warning to either get it to a toilet or prepare to soil himself. He tore his gaze away, and with the nurse's help, waddled his tired body over to the bathroom.

"I think I can walk just fine now," said Wild once he finished washing his hands "I feel better."

The nurse nodded. "Alright. I'm going to check on your Hero friend and then I'll let you rest."

Wild didn't leave the bathroom just yet. He took a moment to drink some water and wash his face. He looked at himself in the mirror, turning his head to the side grimacing at the sight of the gigantic bruise on his cheek. He had so many little scabs, and wound under his chin had been stitched up. Just another scar to add to his shitty collection.

As he exited the bathroom, the nurse passed him by, giving him a quick nod, then left the room. He looked back to his hospital bed.

Flora Roham was awake.

She was standing up, her hands clasped in front of her. She was still-half asleep, and she took a moment to take off her glasses to rub at her eyes. She put them back on, standing at attention.

Wild was not ready for this. "Uh... hi."

"Hi," Flora said. She smiled softly. "How do you feel?"

"Okay. Considering."

"That's good! I mean... considering as well."

An awkward silence followed.

Wild looked over to Twilight. The guy was still asleep... or at least Wild thought he was. He could be pretending. Either way, Wild didn't want to have this conversation in front of him.

"Do you want to talk somewhere private?" Wild asked.

They ended up going down to the hospital cafeteria and grabbing a cup of coffee. They found an isolated booth in a far corner and sat there. They sat opposite of each other.

Wild didn't begin conversation right away. He stalled by putting several sugar packets in his coffee, followed by cream, then took his time stirring. Flora apparently took her coffee straight black. She sipped it politely as she waited.

Wild took a sip, grimaced, and continued drinking until it was half-way empty. He missed his kitchen.

"I'm just going to be blunt," Wild said suddenly. "Why didn't you look for me?"

Flora pulled her coffee away from her mouth. Her eyes widened. "What? What makes you think that?"

 _"Oh come on,"_ Wild snapped. "If you wanted to find me, you could've easily. So why now? What makes me so important now? Because I'm a Hero? Someone to use to further your business?"

Flora gasped. "I would never-!" She reached out across the table to place her hand on his. Wild jerked his arms away.

She pulled back, hurt. "I would never," she said again. "I did look for you. We looked for ages. But you have to understand, we thought we were looking for a _body_. We didn't know where you went."

"We?"

"My father helped with the search. You... don't remember him, either?"

Wild shook his head. "You couldn't find me? I find that hard to believe. I was in the hospital for an entire year. I was in the _newspaper_. My teeth were fucked up but they still sent out scans of it to dentists. For someone who's supposed to be my princess, you certainly didn't make that much of an effort."

Tears welled up in Flora's eyes. "I'm sorry! I don't know what could have happened! I hired detectives to search for you, I offered rewards for any valid leads-"

_"I woke up alone!"_

He nearly yelled that last sentence and had to bite down on his tongue. At the noise one woman across the cafeteria looked up from her sandwich. She waited a beat, then resumed eating.

"I woke up alone," Wild repeated. "I had no idea what happened to me or why. I had no name. No age. And yet despite all that, I still got flowers and gifts from strangers who read about me in the newspaper and online. I had a ninety-eight year old grandmother sending me hand-stitched blankets. How the fuck does a nearly hundred year old woman managed to find me but you, the heiress to billions, couldn't?"

Flora was crying fully now, her head bowed in shame. _"I don't know how I missed you,"_ she said through her sobs. _"I am so sorry you went through that. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."_

Could Wild believe her? That she really did everything she could to find him and all of this was some big mishap? Or were her tears nothing but a shrewd act to gain sympathy? He certainly didn't like he was making her cry. Twilight thought she was sincere. The Master Sword did too. If the blade created by the Goddess chose her, then that proved she was telling the truth, right?

"Please don't cry," he said. "It was not my intention to make you upset. I'm just taking my frustration out on you. I've been dwelling on these thoughts for years. I want answers and it feels like every time I meet someone new, I get more and more confused. I'm sorry."

"No, you're right..." Flora said. She took off her glasses to wipe at her eyes. "I should've been able to find you. It doesn't make any sense why..."

"Yeah... Um... but you do know me, right? Everything about me?"

She nodded and put her glasses back on. She sniffled. "Yes. Oh, you must have a million questions! Please, ask away, I'll answer truthfully!"

"When's my birthday?"

"July 18th. You'll be twenty-one this year."

Wild gave a little chuckle at that. Honestly he thought he was older. "So I'll be able to drink soon, eh? Erm... what's my last name?"

"Takanashi."

Fireworks shot off in Wild's chest and his heart lit aflame. He turned away, closing his eyes. Was this real? After all these years, he finally has an actual name? For legal reasons he's been using the default name 'Slate' for his official papers. _Wild Takanashi_. It sounded good. It sounded like _him._

Wild looked back at Flora. "What happened to my family? How did they die?"

"Die?" Flora said, bewildered. "I thought one of the other Heroes told you already-! _They're not dead._ Your father and sister live in Hateno Village in the south. They're on a plane right now. They'll be here tomorrow."

Wild swallowed the lump in his throat. "I have a family?"

Flora nodded. "You have a family."

That did it. His face collapsed and tears swept down his face in thick streams. After all this time, after years of wondering and fantasizing, he finally had an age. A name. People to call his own.

_He's been found._

Flora got up from her seat and came around, sliding in next to Wild to hug him. This time Wild did not resist her gentle touch and buried his face into her neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wild taking off his IV without assistance may be BS but I like the idea Wild knows his way around medical equipment
> 
> Takanashi is botw!Link's voice actor

**Author's Note:**

> I have NOT GIVEN permission for my fics to be hosted on the shady app, _Fanfic Pocket Archive Library_ or any other app/website. I, Tashilover, gain no money from my fanfics


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